Rosemary as a Healing and Culinary Herb

I love rosemary. I grew up in Los Angeles, CA and rosemary was always damgloing down walls and pushing through fences. I loved to brush my hand over the plant and smell the rosemary on my fingers as I walked on. When I grew older, I began to get curious about the healing properties of plants, I was thrilled to learn about the benefits of rosemary.

Rosemary, native to Southern Europe and parts of Asia, can be found in sunny, warm climates and although it does not tolerate heavy winters, I have no problem growing Rosemary in the Pacific Northwest. Rosemary has “antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-apoptotic, anti-tumorigenic, antinociceptive, and neuroprotective properties (1). In some studies it has shown “clinical effects on mood, learning, memory, pain, anxiety, and sleep.” (2)

Rosemary is, a good source of vitamin B, iron, and calcium (3), is super versatile and can be eaten, steeped into a tea, used as a facial steam, or boiled for a hair rinse.

Here are my favorite uses of Rosemary:

1) Flavor and Digestion — Rosemary is delicious! I love to add it to my foods as a spice. It is great on potatoes, chicken, rice, and in soups. AND rosemary is believed to be great for aiding digestion.

I dry branches of rosemary and use the dry needles in my cooking. They can be left whole or crushed.

2) Hair Rinse (brunettes only): I love to use a rosemary rinse on my hair after shampooing. I have super oily hair and find that this helps reduce build-up on my scalp. Plus, the antifungal properities help with dandruff. I don’t know if it true but some say Rosemary helps with hair growth.

To make a Rosemary Hair Rinse: Take a bunch of rosemary (at least 5-10 sprigs) and cover with distilled water and bring to a boil. Let simmer for 30-40 minutes. The darker the color, the stronger the water. Let cool. When cool, strain the water to remove the rosemary. I like to add the water to a spray bottle and spray my hair after I shower. I know some people will pour water directly over their hair.

3) Tea — As a tea, rosemary is said to help improve eye health, has antioxidatve properties, reduce bloating, and aid in gut health (4, 5).

To Make Rosemary Tea - seep fresh or dried leaves in hot water and drink. In my experience it is a light taste.

I would love to hear more about how you use rosemary.