Although it is most commonly thought of as a spice (from an herb), modern science has been confirming its age-old memory enhancing benefits, as quoted here by Ophelia of Shakespeare, as well as many other health properties.
As a sampling: In 2018 university students took 1000 mg rosemary daily and were found to have boosted memory, reduced anxiety and depression and improved sleep. In 2016, British researchers found the essential oil aroma of rosemary enhanced the memory of people over 65 in a clinical study. A 2012 study in elderly persons found the best memory benefit to come from lower doses, nearest to culinary consumption points vs. highest doses studied, which had impairing effects.
Perhaps even more interesting, some scents are thought to effect environmental context-dependent memory (ECDM). Rosemary has been studied for its capacity to provoke ECDM and is specifically thought to provoke memory through its ‘unpleasantness and distinctiveness’.
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