Paul Keller
Rosemary is delicious and healthy, right? We will tell you here which rosemary effect and side effects you know and what you should consider during pregnancy.
The healing properties of rosemary have been known for a long time – but how exactly does the plant work? You can read in the article what rosemary does for your health and what side effects the medicinal plant can have.
Rosemary: effect of an ancient medicinal plant
We all know this medicinal plant – it is a type of herb that has refined many foods for us. It is of course the good old rosemary (lat. Salvia rosmarinus or Rosmarinus officinalis). We use the plant in many ways: classically as a spice, but also as a tea and because of its essential oils, from which rosemary oil is extracted.
That all sounds very good and even the botanical name Rosmarinus officinalis indicates that rosemary has been used as a medicinal plant for a long time. Because the Latin word “officin” was once the name for a pharmacy. The plant from the mint family is also a symbol of love and fidelity – which even led the ancient Greeks to dedicate it to their goddess Aphrodite.
The rosemary effect is therefore not only limited to a refinement of delicious recipes, but is primarily related to health. The essential oils were also used in perfume recipes in the past – rosemary oil is now rarely included. A formula like that of cologne is still based on the scent of rosemary oil. It is also used in bath additives and ointments or creams.
Rosemary is said to provide a special aroma when the dried leaves are placed in the charcoal. This form of application is intended to give the grilled food a special smoked note. However, like so many spices, rosemary also has a few health properties that have made it popular alongside its use in recipes. You can now find out how the spice works.
Rosemary: Healthy thanks to these ingredients
The rosemary effect is achieved through the ingredients or active ingredients. These groups play a particularly important role here: essential oils and associated terpenes (i.e. the components of the oil) as well as bitter substances and tannins. In the following list you can see exactly which ingredients rosemary is used as a healthy medicinal plant.
The ingredients in Rosmarinus officinalis associated with the essential oils (constituting about 1% to 2.5% of rosemary) include:
- alpha pinene
- 1,8-cineole
- Fighter
Other relevant substances such as tannins and bitter substances in the herb include:
- carnosic acid
- rosmarinic acid
- flavonoids
- saponins
- iron
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin B1
- vitamin C
- niacin
- potassium
- calcium
Rosemary Effect and Side Effects
The various substances in rosemary have diverse effects that make the spice the medicinal plant it is. The herb has different properties and can be used in different ways – whether in tea or in the kitchen, as a fragrance or in ointments and creams.
As a spice, we use rosemary mainly for its taste. After all, marinated food tastes much more aromatic with the medicinal herb – similar to thyme or sage. The nice side effect is that it is particularly effective for flatulence and a feeling of fullness – i.e. digestive problems in the upper abdomen.
In addition, rosemary has a strong antioxidant effect, the astringent effect in the mouth (= contract on the tongue) and the bitter taste are triggered by the tannins contained in the plant.
Due to the 1.8-cineole, the essential rosemary oil has an expectorant and bactericidal effect when used correctly. As with any essential oil, people with asthma should avoid inhalations.
Applied to the skin, rosemary oil can stimulate blood circulation and get the circulation going again, and it also helps against tension. If you have pain in your legs like sore muscles, even though you haven’t done any sport, you can read here what the reasons could be.
But a bath is also fun – and one with rosemary oil even more so. If rosemary oil is used as a bath additive, it has an invigorating effect. So if you’re tired, the oil can make you fresh and fit again. After a hard week at work, this might be just the thing. However, if you have heart or circulatory problems, suffer from varicose veins, have an infection with fever or a skin disease, according to the experts at Apotheken Umschau, you should talk to your doctor before you take the bath.
When taken normally, there are no known side effects of rosemary. The only exceptions are if you are allergic to one of the ingredients and have an allergic reaction. In addition, you should not take too large amounts of rosemary oil, because that has a few side effects:
- Abdominal influenza
- kidney inflammation
However, these side effects are only possible when the recommended dosages are exceeded. Therefore, you should never apply the oil undiluted to the skin. This can cause skin redness or irritation. Because of the camphor, rosemary oil should never be used orally on infants or small children, as it can lead to shortness of breath, among other things. For other uses, you should consult your doctor.
In addition, according to the pharmacist and biologist Prof. Dr. Eberhard Teuscher possible that the rosemary oil is diluted with 1,8-cineol, borneol, bornyl acetate, eucalyptus oil, camphor oil or turpentine oil and that these side effects can possibly be triggered.
In addition, according to the pharmacist and biologistProf. dr Eberhard Teuscher, it is possible that the rosemary oil is diluted with 1,8-cineol, borneol, bornyl acetate, eucalyptus oil, camphor oil or turpentine oil and can possibly trigger these side effects.
Rosemary oil during pregnancy
Very important, however, is an effect of rosemary oil for pregnant women. There is evidence that it may stimulate the uterus and thus have an abortifacient effect. Animal experiments with mice could not prove this effect, but there is suspicion. Rosemary oil is therefore taboo for pregnant women, but small amounts of rosemary in recipes should not pose a problem. If you are unsure about rosemary during pregnancy, you should ask your doctor for advice.
