Rosemary and Thyme: The Secret of Living Better and for Longer

The Mediterranean village Acciaroli, 85 miles south from Naples on the Cilento coast, is in the area where US nutritionist Ancel Keys cited the highest concentration of centenarians in the world in 1950, as he sought to establish evidence that a "Mediterranean diet" contributed to longevity.

Situated just south of Italy's idyllic Amalfi Coast, Acciaroli has captivated the interest of health and beauty enthusiasts, hoping to discover and unlock the secret to a longer, healthier life. Here, in this small village of South Amalfi, at least one in ten residents lives to, and in fact beyond their 100th birthday. The older population are not only blessed with longevity, but also with an unusual high quality of life. One major factor contributing to this is the pristine area, breathing the fresh and unpolluted Mediterranean Sea air. Here people spend a lot of time walking, and savouring the great outdoors. Time passes slowly and people still engage in honoured traditions. Secondly,...ahh.. the Mediterranean diet, which is indeed famous for its health benefits (fyi, we have both lived in Italy for several years and our diet is mainly Mediterranean). Another particularly fragrant piece of the puzzle seems to be rosemary. It is a particularly daily staple of the local cuisine - residents add it to almost any dish, as well as chewing it raw.

Researchers from the Sapienza University in Rome, as well as the San Diego School of Medicine, spent about six months in the area, in order to determine the reason for their incredible health. After testing blood samples of about 80 elderly residents, they discovered that these people boasted very low levels of the hormone adrenomedullin. In fact, their levels of this hormone were similar to those of a 20- or 30-year-old. Some studies have shown that rosemary can aid brain function, and the researchers think the variety grown in Acciaroli might have especially high concentrations of beneficial substances. The older adults also demonstrate a robust sexual appetite, according to another researcher, Dr. Salvatore Di Somma, a professor of medicine at Sapienza University in Rome. "At 95, they have brains more like someone who is 50, and at 50, you're still thinking a lot about sex," he said.

The herbs peppermint, chamomile, rosemary and lavender have been proven to have an impact on mood and memory, with significant benefits displayed for older people, according to new research from Northumbria University. New research published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, has shown that drinking a concentrated rosemary extract drink, can boost cognitive and memory performance by up to 15%.

What is Rosemary?

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is a perennial woody evergreen herb native to the Mediterranean region. It has fine needle-like leaves with a silver touch and pink, purple, white, or blue flowers. It is one of the most commonly found herbs in a spice rack. The herb has a warm, bitter, and astringent taste but yet it gives a wonderful flavor and aroma to soups, sauces, stews, roasts, and stuffing. It can be used in dried powder form or as fresh leaves. Its leaves can be used to prepare tea, essential oil, liquid extract and infused water. If you do an infused water, to enjoy its full benefits add 2/3 sprigs of rosemary in sparkling / still water and leave it overnight.

The culinary, medicinal, and fragrance uses of rosemary are attributed to the vast arrays of chemical constituents collectively known as plant secondary metabolites. Of these, one group are small molecular weight aromatic compounds called essential oils which play vital role in the fragrance and culinary properties of the plant. Essential oils of rosemary dominated by 1,8-cineole, α-pinene, camphene, α-terpineol, and borneol as principal constituents are also responsible for various pharmacological effects of the general antioxidant [and antimicrobial properties known for many essential oils, as well as other effects including anticarcinogenic activities. The other group of secondary metabolites of rosemary are polyphenolic compounds including the flavonoids (e.g., homoplantaginin, cirsimaritin, genkwanin, gallocatechin, nepetrin, hesperidin, and luteolin derivatives) and phenolic acid derivatives (e.g., rosmarinic acid). By far the most important group of rosemary compounds that gain significant attention in recent years, however, are the unique class of polyphenolic diterpenes.

According to USDA, fresh rosemary has a very high reserve of vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6, thiamin, folate, as well as minerals like magnesium, calcium, and iron.

Did you know? The herb is considered to be sacred by ancient Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, as well as Hebrews and is particularly prevalent in Italian cultural cuisine. It is also called as 'Dew of the Sea' or 'Old man'. Later accounts include that of Queen Elisabeth of Hungary, who claimed that drinking rosemary water led to her longevity as she lived beyond 70 years old while suffering from both gout and rheumatic disorder.

We don't plan on relocating to Acciaroli soon, however by drinking rosemary infused water, having a Mediterranean based diet, and incoporating different holistic therapies in our daily lives, we are one step closer to having a longer, healthier life.

With love and gratitude,

Sophie and Ellie xx

Sources:

organicfacts.net; longevitylive.com

The New York Times,Rosemary and Time: Does This Italian Hamlet Have a Recipe for Long Life?"

Habtemariam, S. (2016 ) "The Therapeutic Potential of Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) Diterpenes for Alzheimer's Disease" US National Library of MedicineNational Institutes of Health

Moss, Mark, McMullon, Mhairi and McDonald, Heather (2018) A Pilot Study of the Acute Ingestion of No. 1 Rosemary Water: Evidence of Cognitive, Physiological and Subjective Effects in Healthy Adults. Advances in Chemical Engineering and Science