Saturday, March 5, 2016

what is rosemary good for? (rosmary, Rosmarinus officinalis L.)

rosmary, New Navarino, Pylos
Rosemary is a bush, native of Europe and Mediterranean basin. They say it is rare to find a natural rosemary, information that I will not agree with, because in the mountain I live I can see that it grows everywhere.
Rosemary is known from antiquity. It is referred by Dioskourides and Ovid as "Fourth Libanotis” (see also the Roman Book of Gardening).
It was considered as Aphrodite's gift to people, it was cultivated in every garden of Middle Ages and was widely used in cooking as a fragrant herb. They also used to burn it as incense as it efficiently eliminates germs from the air around us. Ancient students and pupils were wearing rosemary wreaths on their head because they used to believe that it stimulates memory; they were also putting rosemary in the wine as a natural preservative as well as in olive oil in order to make a hair treatment oil. The famous Queen of Hungary’s Water, a blend of rosemary, cedar and Chian turpentine was one of the first elixirs of youth!

Rosemary contains flavonoid tannins, terpenes, calcium, iron and B6. It has antioxidant properties, stimulates the immune, circulatory and digestive system, is anti-inflammatory and treats asthma, loses and bronchitis. It increases the flow of blood to the head (this is why it helps memory), it is heating, it dissolves fat, it fights cellulite and obesity, it strengthens our hair, it acts against dandruff and baldness; it’s antibacterial, antifungal, menopausal and analgesic. It is astringent and regulates the sebum production, regenerates the skin and prevents aging.

It is not recommended for pregnant, lactating mothers and and people with epilepsy. Consult your doctor before using it.

Stella Crown©