“We deliberately set them a lot of tasks, so it’s possible that people who multi-task could function better after sniffing rosemary oil”, said researcher Jemma McCready. “There was no link between the participants’ mood and memory. This suggests performance is not influenced as a consequence of changes in alertness or arousal.”
The herb also helped improve brain health thanks to its carnosic acid and rosmarinic acid, which impairs the growth of cancer cells and prevent Alzheimer’s by fighting free radical damage and protecting against beta amyloid-induced neurodegeneration in the hippocampus (4,5).
The Future of Aromatherapy
Researcher Dr. Mark Moss is excited at the real-life implications of the study: “… [we] focused on prospective memory, which involves the ability to remember events that will occur in the future and to remember to complete tasks at particular times. This is critical for everyday functioning, for example when someone needs to remember to post a birthday card or to take medication at a particular time.”
