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Rosemary

Rosemary is a plant whose oil extracted from the leaves is used to make medicine. Rosemary is used for digestive problems including heartburn, flatulence, liver and gallbladder problems and loss of appetite. It is also used for gout, coughs, headaches and high blood pressure, as well as to reduce age-related memory loss.

Some women use rosemary to increase menstrual flow and to induce abortion. Rosemary is applied to the skin to prevent and treat hair loss, as well as circulatory disorders, toothache, eczema, muscle and joint pain, sciatica and intercostal neuralgia. It is also used to promote wound healing, as part of bath therapies and as an insect repellent. Rosemary is used as a spice in food. The leaves and oil are used in food and the oil in drinks. In industrial production, rosemary oil is used as a fragrance in soap and perfume.

How does rosemary work?

Although it is not clear how rosemary affects hair loss, applying it to the scalp irritates the skin and increases blood circulation.

How effective is rosemary?

Rosemary in combination with thyme, lavender and cedarwood may be effective for hair loss. There is some evidence that this combination increases hair growth by 44% after 7 months of treatment. Rosemary may be ineffective when used to induce abortion. There is not enough scientific data to conclude on the effectiveness of rosemary for flatulence, stomach upset, gout, cough, headache, liver and gallbladder problems, high blood pressure, toothache, joint and muscle pain, eczema and memory loss, and when used to increase menstrual flow. Further scientific research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of rosemary in these applications.

Safety and side effects

Rosemary is safe and harmless when consumed in the amounts found in food, and it appears to be safe and harmless for most people when taken orally as a medicine, applied to the skin or used as aromatherapy. However, the undiluted oil is not safe and harmless when taken orally. Ingestion of large amounts of rosemary can cause vomiting, uterine bleeding, kidney irritation, increased skin sensitivity to sunlight, skin redness and allergic reactions.

Precautions and warnings

Pregnancy and lactation: Rosemary may not be safe to take orally in medicinal quantities during pregnancy. Rosemary could stimulate menstruation or affect the uterus, which could lead to miscarriage. Not enough is known about the safety of rosemary applied to the skin during pregnancy. If you are pregnant, it is best to avoid rosemary in quantities that exceed normal dietary amounts. Rosemary should also be avoided in medicinal amounts while breastfeeding, as it is not known what effects it may have on a nursing infant.

Seizures: Rosemary could aggravate seizures.

Interactions

At this time, there is no information on interactions of rosemary with medications or supplements.

Dosage

The following dosages have been investigated in scientific studies:

Applied to the skin

For the treatment of bald patches: A combination of essential oils including 3 drops or 114 mg rosemary oil, 2 drops or 88 mg thyme oil, 3 drops or 108 mg lavender oil and 2 drops or 94 mg cedarwood oil mixed with 3 ml jojoba oil and 20 ml grapeseed oil was used. This mixture was massaged into the scalp every evening for 2 minutes with a warm towel placed around the head to increase absorption.

References

  1. Buckle J. Use of aromatherapy as a complementary treatment for chronic pain. Altern Ther Health Med 1999;5:42-51.
  2. Cartier LC, Lehrer A, Malo JL. Occupational asthma caused by aromatic herbs. Allergy 1996;51:647-9.
  3. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Title 21. Part 182 -- Substances Generally Recognized As Safe. Available at: http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid= 786bafc6f6343634fbf79fcdca7061e1&rgn=div5&view= text&node=21:3.0.1.1.13&idno=21
  4. Foster S, Tyler VE. Tyler's Honest Herbal, 4th ed, Binghamton, NY: Haworth Herbal Press, 1999.
  5. Hay IC, Jamieson M, Ormerod AD. Randomized trial of aromatherapy. Successful treatment for alopecia areata. Arch Dermatol 1998;134:1349-52.
  6. Pengelly A, Snow J, Mills SY, et al. Short-term study on the effects of rosemary on cognitive function in an elderly population. J Med Food 2012;15:10.