Dementia risk 'can be reduced' by herb that's easy to grow in kitchens and gardens
Dementia affects millions of people worldwide, and the numbers are increasing. There is currently an estimated 982,000 people with dementia in the UK, and it is predicted that 1.4 million people will be living with dementia by 2040, according to the Alzheimer's Society.
However, new research has emerged that suggests that a common herb that's easy to grow in your kitchen or garden can actually reduce the risk of getting the brain disorder. Rich in natural compounds that support memory and protect brain cells, this everyday plant is gaining attention as a simple yet powerful ally in the fight against dementia.
The secret weapon: rosemary. The herb has long been associated with sharper memory and improved mental clarity, and even appeared in Shakespeare's Hamlet, where Ophelia stated: "There's rosemary, that's for remembrance."
READ MORE: Scientist reveals that eating this one fruit a day will lower inflammation
READ MORE: Early dementia symptom that could show up when you're on holiday
But now modern science is exploring whether rosemary can be linked to aiding Alzheimer's disease.
In a 2025 study published in Antioxidants, researchers explored the benefits of carnosic acid, which is a natural compound found in rosemary and sage.
Carnosic acid is known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which activate the body's natural defence enzymes.
However, "pure carnosic acid" is too unstable for direct use as a drug, so a more stable form called diAcCA was developed, which converts to carnosic acid in the gut, reported Scripps Research.
Research showed "that when diAcCA was used to treat mouse models of Alzheimer's disease, it achieved therapeutic doses of carnosic acid in the brain and led to enhanced memory and synaptic density, or more synapses (representing the connections between nerve cells), in the brain.
"Because the decline of neuronal synapses is also closely correlated to dementia in Alzheimer's disease, this approach could counteract the progression of cognitive decline."
A health expert at the Independent also shared that rosemary can enhance mental clarity by boosting blood flow to the brain, delivering more oxygen and nutrients.
Its calming aroma has also been linked to reduced anxiety and better sleep, both key for focus and memory.
Another study conducted by a team at Northumbria University found a link between rosemary oil, lavender oil and memory performance.
A doctor who participated in the study spoke to the BBC and shared: "It turns out that there are compounds in rosemary oil that may be responsible for changes in memory performance.
"One of them is called 1,8-cineole - as well as smelling wonderful (if you like that sort of thing) it may act in the same way as the drugs licensed to treat dementia, causing an increase in a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine."
The compound 1,8-cineole helps preserve acetylcholine, a vital brain chemical for learning and memory. By protecting this neurotransmitter, rosemary may support cognitive performance, even when we age.
The doctor concluded: "The implications of this kind of research are huge, but they don't mean you need to spend your days smelling of rosemary and your night sleeping on a pillow of lavender.
"The effects were measurable but modest, and they give us a clue that further research into some of the chemicals in essential oils may yield therapeutics and contribute to our understanding of memory and brain function."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
‘Kind-souled' five-year-old died after allergic reaction at school, inquest told
A 'kind-souled' five-year-old boy died after a serious allergic reaction which caused him to collapse at school, an inquest has heard. A jury at Peterborough Town Hall heard that Benedict Blythe, who was in his first year at Barnack Primary School in Stamford, Lincolnshire, died in hospital on December 1 2021 after vomiting at school. Helen Blythe said during the first day of the inquest into her son's death: 'Benedict was not just a child with allergies, he was a whole universe – curious, funny, kind and loving – and the world should have been safer for him.' The cause of death for Benedict, who was allergic to milk, eggs and some nuts, was recorded as food-induced anaphylaxis, Elizabeth Gray, the area coroner for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, said. Ms Gray told the jury: 'Benedict was five years old at the time of his death. 'He suffered from asthma and a number of allergies including milk and an egg allergy.' The inquest heard Benedict was kept home from school on November 30 because he was unwell and had vomited the previous night, but went to school as normal on December 1. The coroner said Benedict ate a biscuit during that school day which he had brought from home and then was offered oat milk by a class teacher, but he refused to drink it. He then vomited so his parents were called to pick him up, but he vomited a second time and was taken outside for fresh air where he 'collapsed'. An adrenaline auto-injector (AAI) was administered by a first aid-trained teaching assistant but Benedict was 'not responding' before CPR was attempted. Emergency services were called but the schoolboy died later that day at Peterborough City Hospital. Benedict's mother, who gave evidence to the inquest, told the jury that vomiting was 'always' the first symptom of his allergic reactions, but 'how it played out after that varied'. She said the school was given a management plan with 'things we knew as a family and as his parents' about his allergic reactions. In a witness statement read to the inquest, Mrs Blythe said Benedict was 'well-aware' of his allergic reactions, adding: 'I believe he had an allergic reaction and this is what caused his death.' She added that Benedict 'woke up as normal and in good health' that morning with no temperature or cough. She described feeling 'terrified' when she learnt that Benedict had become unwell. A video was shown to the jury of Benedict opening his advent calendar before school with his younger sister on the day he died. Mrs Blythe, told the inquest the chocolate he ate from the advent calendar was dairy-free. She also read a pen portrait to the inquest, saying: 'Quick-minded and kind-souled, Benedict's love of 'playing numbers' was one hint to why he joined Mensa when he was four. 'His superpower was his kind heart, and it's that kindness that is so missing from our lives. 'The first return to a new school year after his death, children said 'I wish Benedict was here – he'd stop me feeling nervous'. 'Aside from the joy Benedict had in his life, he had to develop his own quiet kind of bravery. 'He lived with allergies and chronic asthma, and sometimes that meant missing out — on parties, on snacks other children could eat, on ice creams from the ice cream van – but he never let it define him. 'The day Benedict died, our world broke but what's even more unbearable is the knowledge that we weren't alone. 'Benedict was not just a child with allergies, he was a whole universe – curious, funny, kind and loving – and the world should have been safer for him.' The Benedict Blythe Foundation was set up in his memory and, along with The Allergy Team and the Independent Schools' Bursars Association (ISBA), launched the schools allergy code last year to protect children with allergies and set out how schools can keep pupils safe. The inquest, which is expected to last two weeks, continues.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Heat health alert extended as soaring temperatures set to stay
A heat health alert has been extended as sizzling temperatures continue to impact Sussex. The UK Health Security Agency has extended the amber heat health alert until Wednesday, July 2, at 9am. It was originally due to end tomorrow, July 1. The alert warns of significant impacts across health and social care services, including a rise in deaths among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions. There may also be impacts on younger age groups. There is also likely to be an increased demand on all health and social care services. READ MORE: Updates as Sussex braces itself for another day of hot weather Temperatures are set to remain high in Brighton, with an average of 28C tomorrow and 27C on Wednesday. The weather for the rest of the week is forecast to remain warm, with temperatures sitting at around 23 to 24C until Sunday, July 6. The UKHSA advises people to keep out of the sun at the hottest time of the day, between 11am and 3pm, and check on family, friends and neighbours who may be at higher risk of becoming unwell.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Controversial project could create human DNA from scratch
A controversial project that aims to create the building blocks of human life has started. It was previously thought creating human DNA could lead to designer babies or unforeseen complications and changes for future generations. However, in a world first, medical charity the Wellcome Trust, has given an initial £10m to start the project. Scientists say it has the potential to transform the understanding of human health, open opportunities to develop treatments for incurable diseases and develop climate-resistant crops. 'Our DNA determines who we are and how our bodies work,' said Michael Dunn, director of discovery research at Wellcome. 'Through creating the necessary tools and methods to synthesise a human genome, we will answer questions about our health and disease that we cannot even anticipate yet, in turn transforming our understanding of life and wellbeing.' In the next five to ten years scientists aim to build a full synthetic human chromosome. Every cell in the human body contains DNA, which is a molecule that carries genetic information that physically makes people who they are. The new Synthetic Human Genome Project will potentially allow researchers not just to be able to read DNA but create parts of it. Scientists will first aim to create larger blocks of human DNA to try to create a synthetically constructed a human chromosome – which contains genes that govern our development, repair and maintenance. These chromosomes would then be studied to find out how genes and DNA regulate our bodies. The project is led by Professor Jason Chin from the Generative Biology Institute at Ellison Institute of Technology and the University of Oxford, in collaboration with team of researchers from Cambridge, Kent, Manchester, Oxford and Imperial College London. 'The ability to synthesize large genomes, including genomes for human cells, may transform our understanding of genome biology and profoundly alter the horizons of biotechnology and medicine,' said Professor Chin. The project will be confined to test tubes and petri dishes, with no attempt to create synthetic life. But critics fear the research opens the way for researchers to create enhanced or modified humans. Professor Bill Earnshaw, a genetic scientist at Edinburgh University who designed a method for creating artificial human chromosomes fears this research could open the opportunity to attempt to create biological weapons, enhanced humans or even creatures that have human DNA. "The genie is out of the bottle," he told BBC News. "We could have a set of restrictions now, but if an organisation who has access to appropriate machinery decided to start synthesising anything, I don't think we could stop them." There will also be a dedicated social science project running alongside the researchers led by Professor Joy Zhang, a sociologist, at the University of Kent. "We want to get the views of experts, social scientists and especially the public about how they relate to the technology and how it can be beneficial to them and importantly what questions and concerns they have," she said.
