Need a pick me up? Rosemary is a stimulating herb that also improves mood and cognition.
By: Kathy Sadowski, MS in Aromatherapy, Registered Aromatherapist, LMT
Rosemary is an aromatic “pick me up,” with stimulating, anti-depressive, and anxiolytic activities. Human studies have shown inhalation may also improve brain function, making it an aroma of choice to diffuse for students, and could possibly improve cognitive function in the elderly and those with Alzheimer’s.
Ways to Use Rosemary
- INHALATION – Add a few drops of essential oil to a diffuser to feel fresh and awake.
- TOPICAL USE – Mix up to 6 drops to one ounce of carrier oil.
- INTERNALLY – Essential oil is not recommended for internal use. Instead, take the fresh or dried herb. For adults: add ½ tsp of dried OR 1 tsp of fresh leaves to 1 cup of hot water; steep for 10 minutes, strain, and drink the water as hot tea up to three times a day.
Click here to read more about the safe use of the rosemary herb and essential oil.
Here are some studies on the stimulating effects of rosemary.
- Rosemary inhalation had a stimulatory effect via brain wave activity, autonomic nervous system activity, and mood. From: Sayorwan, W., Ruangrungsi, N., Piriyapunyporn, T., Hongratanaworakit, T., Kotchabhakdi, N., & Siripornpanich, V. (2013). Effects of inhaled rosemary oil on subjective feelings and activities of the nervous system. Scientia pharmaceutica, 81(2), 531.
- The study showed a stimulating effect of a rosemary oil massage that relieves stress and depression. From: Hongratanaworakit, T. (2009). Simultaneous aromatherapy massage with rosemary oil on humans. Scientia Pharmaceutica, 77(2), 375.
- Lavender relaxed test takers, reduced test anxiety, and improved testing ability. Rosemary stimulated test takers, reduced test anxiety, and made them faster when taking the test. From: Diego, M. A., Jones, N. A., Field, T., Hernandez-Reif, M., Schanberg, S., Kuhn, C., … & Galamaga, R. (1998). Aromatherapy positively affects mood, EEG patterns of alertness and math computations. International Journal of Neuroscience, 96(3-4), 217-224.
- Inhalation of rosemary had a stimulant effect, improved mood, and brain clarity in participants. From: Sayorwan, W., Ruangrungsi, N., Piriyapunyporn, T., Hongratanaworakit, T., Kotchabhakdi, N., & Siripornpanich, V. (2012). Effects of inhaled rosemary oil on subjective feelings and activities of the nervous system. Scientia pharmaceutica, 81(2), 531-542.
Here are some studies on the anti-depressive and anxiety reducing effects of rosemary.
- Both adults and infants showed a reduced depressed affect in their EEG with inhalation of rosemary and lavender. From: Sanders, C., Diego, M., Fernandez, M., Field, T., Hernandez-Reif, M., & Roca, A. (2002). EEG asymmetry responses to lavender and rosemary aromas in adults and infants. International Journal of Neuroscience, 112(11), 1305-1320.
- Lavender and rosemary essential oil sachets reduced test-taking stress in graduate nursing students. From: McCaffrey, R., Thomas, D. J., & Kinzelman, A. O. (2009). The Effects of Lavender and Rosemary Essential Oils on Test‐Taking Anxiety Among Graduate Nursing Students. Holistic nursing practice, 23(2), 88-93.
- Aromatherapy massage using lavender, chamomile, rosemary, and lemon reduced anxiety and improved self esteem. From: Rho, K. H., Han, S. H., Kim, K. S., & Lee, M. S. (2006). Effects of aromatherapy massage on anxiety and self-esteem in korean elderly women: a pilot study. International Journal of Neuroscience, 116(12), 1447-1455.
- Aromatherapy of lavender, peppermint, rosemary, and clary sage reduced stress in nursing students. From: Park, M. K., & Lee, E. S. (2004). [The effect of aroma inhalation method on stress responses of nursing students]. Taehan Kanho Hakhoe Chi, 34(2), 344-351.
- Rosemary extract had an antidepressive action in mice. From: Machado, D. G., Bettio, L. E., Cunha, M. P., Capra, J. C., Dalmarco, J. B., Pizzolatti, M. G., & Rodrigues, A. L. S. (2009). Antidepressant-like effect of the extract of Rosmarinus officinalis in mice: involvement of the monoaminergic system. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 33(4), 642-650.
Plus, rosemary can help improve memory and cognitive abilities with bonus neuro-protective qualities!
- In studying improvement of memory and cognition, three Corydalis species were tested for acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity and Corydalis cava, Corydalis intermedia, Corydalis solida ssp. laxa and Corydalis solida exhibited significant inhibitory activity. Extracts of Ruta graveolens (rue), Lavandula angustifolia (lavender), Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary), Petroselinum crispum (parsley) and Mentha spicata (spearmint) exhibited moderate inhibitory activity. From: Adsersen, A., Gauguin, B., Gudiksen, L., & Jäger, A. K. (2006). Screening of plants used in Danish folk medicine to treat memory dysfunction for acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 104(3), 418-422.
- Aromatherapy of rosemary and lemon essential oils in the morning, and lavender and orange in the evening improved cognition of Alzheimer’s patients. From: Jimbo, D., Kimura, Y., Taniguchi, M., Inoue, M., & Urakami, K. (2009). Effect of aromatherapy on patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Psychogeriatrics, 9(4), 173-179.
- The potent aroma of rosemary strongly improved environmental context dependent memory in humans. From: Ball, L. J., Shoker, J., & Miles, J. N. (2010). Odour‐based context reinstatement effects with indirect measures of memory: The curious case of rosemary. British Journal of Psychology, 101(4), 655-678.
- Rosemary and lavender scents lowered fatigue while lavender also lowered tension (anxiety / confusion) in human participants. From: Burnett, K. M., Solterbeck, L. A., & Strapp, C. M. (2004). Scent and mood state following an anxiety-provoking task. Psychological reports, 95(2), 707-722.
- Rosemary inhalation improved cognitive assessment in healthy adults. From: Moss, M., Cook, J., Wesnes, K., & Duckett, P. (2003). Aromas of rosemary and lavender essential oils differentially affect cognition and mood in healthy adults. International Journal of Neuroscience, 113(1), 15-38.
- Ingestion of dried rosemary improved cognitive function in the elderly. From: Pengelly, A., Snow, J., Mills, S. Y., Scholey, A., Wesnes, K., & Butler, L. R. (2012). Short-term study on the effects of rosemary on cognitive function in an elderly population. Journal of medicinal food, 15(1), 10-17.
- Inhalation of rosemary had a stimulant effect, improved mood, and brain clarity in participants. From: Sayorwan, W., Ruangrungsi, N., Piriyapunyporn, T., Hongratanaworakit, T., Kotchabhakdi, N., & Siripornpanich, V. (2012). Effects of inhaled rosemary oil on subjective feelings and activities of the nervous system. Scientia pharmaceutica, 81(2), 531-542.
- Neuroprotective effects of carnosic acid is discussed. From: Tamaki, Y., Tabuchi, T., Takahashi, T., Kosaka, K., & Satoh, T. (2010). Activated glutathione metabolism participates in protective effects of carnosic acid against oxidative stress in neuronal HT22 cells. Planta medica, 76(07), 683-688.
