Rosemary: a plant for mind, body, and soul

Everyone knows Rosemary, a well-known evergreen shrub present in every kitchen, but not everyone is familiar with its countless health properties.

Its name derives from the Latin terms “ros” = dew and “marinus” = of the sea, with the intention of comparing the color of the flowers to the rippling of sea waves, or also because the plant grows near the sea, while the denomination “officinalis” indicates its use in workshops, i.e., the laboratories where it was transformed into a health remedy.

Rosemary belongs to the family of “fragrant” plants commonly used in aromatherapy and from which essential oils are extracted, namely the Labiatae (or Lamiaceae) called so for the shape of the corolla, consisting precisely of a campanulate bilabiate calyx, tomentose of 5-6 mm divided up to a third of its length; light blue or lilac in color, sometimes white in the form of a protruding tube; with the upper lip formed by two lobes and the lower one trifid. There are only two protruding stamens. The flowers are found in the axils of the leaves grouped in racemes, at the top of the branches.

The leaves are opposite, grouped in axillary bundles, linear in shape, 2-3 mm wide and 15-30 mm long, revolute on the edge, sessile, dark green in color, shiny on the upper lamina, and white and tomentose on the lower one, because it is rich in very short, very dense hairs, branched on several levels.

The fruit is a light brown tetrachene schizocarp. Pollination occurs through bees. The stem is woody, very branched, gray-brown in color, rough, with an ascending posture, sometimes prostrate; and can reach up to 2 meters in height. Flowering occurs between April and August, but in some areas (islands and coasts) it occurs all year round.

The best method to propagate the Rosemary plant is to use cuttings or layering because only 30% of the seeds manage to germinate. It is a plant that grows in the warmest areas and is sensitive to frost. The soil must be well-drained, and the plant must be exposed to the sun.

In Italy, Rosemary can be found along the Tyrrhenian and Ionian coasts, on all the islands, on the western shores of Lake Garda, from sea level up to 800 meters in altitude, typical of the low Mediterranean scrubland.

The drug of Rosemary consists of flowers and aerial parts.

Rosemary essential oil is extracted by steam distillation and is obtained from the flowering tops, but also from fresh twigs. The main producers are Spain, Morocco, and Tunisia.

From research on 23 commercial cultivars of Rosemary, 6 different types have been classified, and the types with cineole (North African) and camphor (Spain) predominated (in commerce). The essential oil appears as a dense liquid, from colorless to pale yellow to greenish yellow. The aroma is aromatic, typical, penetrating, eucalyptus-like (or camphoraceous depending on the chemotype), and pleasant. Through the olfactory pathway, a stimulating effect, an improvement in attentiveness, and an improvement in mood have been detected. Antispasmodic activity has been discovered, in vitro, but also antibacterial and antifungal activity; in particular on the bacterium Propionibacterium acnes, and on various types of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Phenolic compounds have shown high antioxidant and insecticidal activity on larvae of the Aedes albopictus mosquito.

Rosemary essential oil has a rubefacient, mucolytic, and expectorant effect. Therefore, its indications are for oily skin and hair, dandruff, acne, colds, coughs, sinusitis, catarrh, rheumatism, muscle contractions, non-inflammatory “cold” conditions, chronic fatigue, stress, nervous exhaustion; to be used as massages or ambient fragrance according to need. Experts also recommend it for premenstrual syndrome, postpartum depression, or menopause.

Care must be taken with the neurotoxic effects, based on the camphor content, which could cause epileptiform convulsions in predisposed individuals. Caution is therefore necessary during pregnancy, infancy, and childhood.

Rosemary is also a protagonist in Gemmotherapy. The part used is the young shoots, which contain many substances present in the leaves but also organic acids, amines, amino acids, anthocyanins, biostimulants, enzymes, growth factors, flavonoids, polyphenols, vitamins, and trace elements.

At the endocrine system level, Rosemary gemmotherapy acts as an antioxidant in physiological senescence phenomena and counteracts forms of frigidity in women, because it acts on the adrenal-gonadal axis and for the same reason regarding men, it could help in functional sexual abnormalities. It also helps at the level of mood tone, increases libido, and reduces irritability.

Regarding metabolic disorders, it helps to rebalance disorders of hepatic, intestinal, and respiratory origin. Rosemary gemmotherapy also has antiallergic properties, specifically in hepato-digestive ones. At the central nervous system level, it stimulates memory, improves microcirculation, and in small doses reduces aggression.

Rosemary used as a mother tincture (MT) is employed and useful for similar problems, i.e., to stimulate digestive functions, improve resilience in case of stress, as a tonic in case of asthenia, in liver and biliary disorders, and in case of hypercholesterolemia.

The external use of Rosemary is linked to its rubefacient properties, therefore useful for treating bruises, joint and muscle pain, rheumatism, and stiff neck. In the cosmetic field, lotions and baths deodorize and purify the skin; it is used in toothpaste and mouthwashes to strengthen the gums and also on the scalp to strengthen it or as a cure or preventive against pediculosis.

The flowers of Rosemary attract bees that produce a sought-after and very good honey.

Shakespeare mentioned Rosemary in his comedies and in particular in Hamlet, where Ophelia hands the protagonist a sprig, asking him to remember her: “Here’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance: pray, love, remember“.

ANJA LATINI

Herbalist registered with the RNEP no. GLT0018S