Folklore was right: rosemary does boost your memory

ENGLISH folklore advises slipping rosemary into the pocket of an errant lover to help them remember their vows, while Ophelia confirmed the herb is “for remembrance” in

Now scientists have shown that the plant really is linked to better memory.

A study of pensioners found that simply being in a room diffused with the smell of rosemary boosted memory test scores by 15 per cent.

Academics at the University of Northumbria say this could mean the difference between remembering to take medication, or not, which, in turn, could prove life-saving.

Dr Mark Moss, head of the department of psychology at Northumbria University, said: “We once had herbalists in every village who would have handed out lavender to sleep or chamomile to calm and their effects would have been documented over centuries and millennia. So, I think people in the past did realise that rosemary had an effect on memory. My working hypothesis is that when you inhale rosemary its compounds are absorbed in the blood through the lungs and then are sent to the brain where they can actually act on your brain chemistry.”

Previous studies on brain tissue have shown that the compounds in rosemary can stimulate activity.

To test whether it had an impact on older people, the researchers randomly allocated 150 pensioners to a room scented with rosemary, lavender or no aroma. Those in the rosemary room were found to perform far better on the memory tests.

A separate experiment by the same team also found that peppermint tea could boost memory. A total of 180 participants were randomly allocated to receive a drink of peppermint tea, chamomile tea, or hot water.

After a 20-minute rest the participants completed tests that assessed their memory and a range of other cognitive functions. Following the tests participants completed a mood questionnaire.

Analysis of the results showed that peppermint tea helped improve longterm memory, working memory and alertness compared with both chamomile and hot water.

Chamomile tea significantly slowed memory and attention speed compared with both peppermint and hot water.

The research was presented at the British Psychological Society’s annual conference in Nottingham.