London - Shakespeare once said rosemary was good for memory – and it seems Tudor herb lore was right.
Sniffing rosemary oil makes people more likely to remember to do things, researchers found.
It could help patients with memory problems take medication on time, or even remind the forgetful to post a birthday card.
In the study by psychologists at Northumbria University, Newcastle, people in a room scented with rosemary were 60 to 75 percent better at remembering to carry out future tasks than those in an unscented room.
Other studies have shown the essential oil helps alertness and long-term memory.
Rosemary has long been linked to memory, with the most famous reference being Ophelia’s line in Hamlet, “There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance: pray, love, remember”.
It is used in herbal medicine as a painkiller and for migraines and digestion.
Dr Mark Moss, who will present the findings at the British Psychology Society conference in Harrogate, said: “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.”
The 66 volunteers also had blood tests. Scientists found higher concentrations of a chemical called 1,8-cineole in the blood of those in the rosemary-scented room.
This chemical has been linked to the systems that aid memory and is also found in rosemary oil. - Daily Mail