Rosemary has become known as a very aromatic plant first used in cooking as a seasoning herb.
Occurrence and cultivation of rosemary
Rosemary develops a typical spicy and quite strong odor of its own and can be grown by cuttings propagation. Rosemary thrives on the Mediterranean Sea and loves all sunny, low-water climatic conditions and calcareous soil. In Portugal, the Ionian Sea and the Black Sea, rosemary is also found. The plant is a labiate and is characterized by an evergreen growth. The leaves are long, narrow and firm and are located on so-called star-haired, felt-like false whorls. Rosemary forms inconspicuous flowers that bloom throughout the year. Rosemary is excellently adapted to the dry and very warm environment with its hairy leaves curled towards the underside. Rosemary develops a typical spicy and quite strong odor of its own and can be grown via cuttings propagation.
Effect and application
The use of rosemary refers primarily to its use as an intense spice herb. For this reason, rosemary is a kitchen spice and is suitable not only for seasoning spicy and rustic dishes, but likewise as an aromatizing addition to jellies made from apples and to herb butters. Moreover, when burned, rosemary releases an odor similar to incense. Rosemary has an important meaning in the context of natural medicine, because rosemary is considered a medicinal plant. The medicinal applications are based both on the strong germicidal and so-called antiseptic effects, as well as on the essential oils contained in the plant in rich quantities. More or less known are the intensively acting rosemary oils, known for their skin warming properties. These oils are suitable for both internal and external treatments and are popularly used as part of aromatherapy. Another use of rosemary is a honey obtained from the flowers of rosemary, which has an ointment-like consistency when stored for a long time. The ingredients of rosemary are characterized by blood circulation stimulating, skin irritating and anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, rosemary as a tea is said to be extremely appetizing and, in overdoses, intoxicating as well as cramp-inducing. For people suffering from health problems caused by reduced bile flow, rosemary is recommended as a bile stimulating over-the-counter remedy. This is also true in cases of persistent discomfort with the stomach and intestines due to insufficient digestive juices and in relation to bladder conditions. Rosemary stimulates the excretion of urine.
Importance for health
In the form of oil baths and as rosemary spirits, rosemary can bring relief from circulatory disorders and weakness, as well as gout and rheumatism. Processed into ointments, rosemary, either alone or in combination with other medicinal plants, is an excellent therapeutic aid against migraines and headaches. For people who suffer from barely healing open wounds, ointments and infusions of rosemary are considered a natural remedy that kills inflammatory pathogens and has a disinfecting effect. This promotes wound healing. In addition, all natural remedies from rosemary are free from side effects and risks. One property that has been widely used is the so-called antimicrobial effects of rosemary oil in terms of killing pathogenic strains of bacteria, yeasts and molds, which can lead to numerous skin diseases in particular. For this reason, bath additives with rosemary are recommended as extremely beneficial. Rosemary has also gained therapeutic importance in depression, epilepsy and in many chronic physical diseases. An astringent, astringent effect of rosemary is shown by the fact that it is used as a tonic and spasmolytic, as well as in analgesic preparations.
