Rosemary may protect against stroke and Alzheimer's
Scientists have found that an ingredient in rosemary may fight the damage caused by free radicals in the brain.
Free radicals have been shown to cause neurodegeneration and are thought to contribute to stroke and neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's.
A team of Californian and Japanese researchers now believe that rosemary could provide a new natural therapy to help prevent these conditions, as well as the normal effects that aging has on the brain.
The researchers found that a compound found in the herb called carnosic acid (CA) activates a cellular mechanism that protects brain cells.
Their findings are published in the Journal of Neurochemistry and Nature Reviews Neuroscience.
Senior author Dr Stuart Lipton, director of the Del E Webb Neuroscience, Aging and Stern Cell Research Centre, commented: "Unlike most new drugs, this type of compound may well be safe and clinically tolerated because it is present in a naturally-occurring herb that is known to get into the brain and has been consumed by people for over a thousand years."
Rosemary has been part of traditional European folk medicine since the Middle Ages. It has long been thought to help the nervous system.
Scientists have found that an ingredient in rosemary may fight the damage caused by free radicals in the brain.
