Rosemary, Cineole (Rosmarinus officinalis) ** Sorta Long

[Guest guest]

Butch Owen <butchbsi

Tue, 29 Jun 2004 23:03:16 -0700

Rosemary, Cineole (Rosmarinus officinalis)

** Sorta Long

 

 

Hi y'all,

 

Another old post .. send to this list long ago.

 

Someone asked:

 

> I have a bottle of your rosemary cineole...don't know exactly how to

> use it. Any advice?

 

And I replied:

 

Rosemary, Cineole Chemotype increases circulation .. and its great as a

stimulating jump-starter in the morning. Not something you would want

to sniff afore bed unless you had a boring book you wanted to finish.

Very anti-microbial .. I often use it in a cocktail with one of the

Origanums.

 

Below is but a small portion of the information found in but ONE of of

the Essential Oils Monographs .. courtesy of Martin Watt, author .. and

Butch Owen, publisher and sole distributor for North and South America.

 

And .. this information is covered by Copyright.

 

Keep in mind that much of the below is discussing the Rosemary plant ..

not the essential oil.

 

First, contrary to popular rumors .. rosemary EO does NOT induce

epileptic seizures. There is no sound evidence to support this theory.

But we find in the historical texts that it was used to STOP epileptic

seizures so we might logically conclude that someone left out a word or

transposed somewhere over the years. Nor does it increase BP .. that is

pure hogwash!

 

MSDS - Like most EO, MSDS data gives an extremely ridiculous flash point

of 104 F .. does this mean that folks in Arizona shouldn't use it or

other EO that have even lower so-called flash points in the summer? No!

Considering the fact that much of it is produced in countries along the

Mediterranean Rim where summer temps can get up to 120 F, or in Jordan,

up to 140 F by 10 AM, I'd not worry too much about flash point. ;-P

 

CONTRAINDICATIONS: Its sometimes stated that rosemary oil should be

avoided during pregnancy. There's no sound evidence to support this,

or for that matter, for any other EO. If folks want to be cautious and

CYA, they can advise caution during the first trimester.

 

HISTORICAL USES

It was mentioned in most of the ancient herbals of Greece and Rome. The

Ancient Egyptians are thought to have either grown or imported rosemary

as it has been found in the wrappings of mummies, perhaps a symbolic

offering or simply because they knew of its preservative properties.

The ancient Greeks attributed a mind stimulating effect to rosemary, an

action which the oil and herbal extract are still used for today.

 

Students used to entwine it in their hair for its reputed brain

stimulating effects. BUT - today studies in universities have shown

that it DOES increase memory!

 

Rosemary sprigs were used as an insect deterrent in clothes chests.

 

The Romans used infusions of rosemary for stimulating the heart and

circulation. Interesting is that they also used it for treating

depression. Additional uses were treating coughs and lung ailments.

 

Rosemary (fresh and dried) has been widely used in cooking and as food

flavorings. Before refrigeration, foods containing rosemary kept longer

due to its acknowledged anti-oxidant and antimicrobial properties.

 

The Historical Data above is courtesy of Martin Watt.

 

As I said, Rosemary is a powerful stimulant. It increases circulation

and studies have shown that it increases memory .. just sniff it. I

keep a bottle by my bedside. I get up, take a sniff or two .. and then

I can find the coffee pot. A regular jump-start it is.

 

There's one Scottish study showing it helped to promote the growth of

hair. I'm guessing that this was effective only for those who suffered

hair loss due to circulation problems.

 

It has been proven effective in parasiticidal applications for pediculi

capitis and ascarus scabei.

 

In lotions for facial acne, its believed to be beneficial action.

 

Medicinal actions: Tonic, astringent, diaphoretic, stimulant. Oil of

rosemary has the carminative properties of other volatile oils and is an

excellent stomachic and nervine, curing many cases of the headache. The

oil is also used externally as a rubefacient and is added to linaments

as a fragrant stimulant. A Modern Herbal. M. Grieve. 1931.

 

SOME REFERENCED MEDICINAL ACTIVITY

 

1,8-cineole was detected in the blood of mice following inhalation and

oral administration. An increase in brain locomotor activity occurred

regardless of whether the oil was given orally or in the air. Kovar K.

et al. 1987. Planta Medica. 53.4. 315-318.

 

Studies have been conducted on some plants with the view to planting

them in sanatoria parks for " therapeutic (aerostimulating) effects " .

Among them were Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), lavender (Lavandula

angustifolia, and Bay Laurel (Laurus nobilis). The study shows the

potential therapeutic effects of being around fresh aromatic plants.

 

Rosemary oil internally and externally; carminative, rubefacient. Merk

index 11th edition 1989.

 

Actions: Carminative, spasmolytic, sedative, diuretic, mild analgesic,

paraciticide. Indications: flatulent dyspepsia associated with

psychogenic tension, headaches, migraine. Topically for myalgia,

sciatica, intercostal neuralgia. Specific indications: depressive states

with general debility. NOTE: These actions are for oral use of the

herbal tincture and oil. The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia 1983.

 

An antiparasitic canine deodorant was prepared by mixing rosemary EO (30

drops) with dearomatized petrol 7.5ml, CuSo4 0.5mg. and H2O 1000ml. The

composition was effective in protecting against flea, lice and ticks,

without provoking allergies and irritation. Havot Alain. 1984. Demande

Fr 2, 541, 898. (ClA61K35/78). Appl. 83/3, 651 1983.

 

The effect of dietary uptake of an extract of Rosemarinus officinalis on

DMBA-induced mammary tumourigenesis and on the in vivo formation of

mammary DMBA-DNA adducts were evaluated. These studies suggest that use

of rosemary extract and its individual antioxiditive constituents as

chemopreventative agents for mammary tumourogenesis warrant further

investigation. Singletary. K. et al. 1991. Cancer Lett. 60(2).169-75.

 

Antitumour pharmaceuticals contain adriamycin and medicinal plant

extracts with antioxidant activity. Medicinal plant extracts enhance the

effectiveness of adriamycin and reduce its cardiotoxicity. Mice treated

i.p. with adriamycin (5mg/kg) and rosemary extract (1or10mg/kg) had a

higher survival rate compared to those treated with adriamycin alone.

Hara Kenji. 1985. Jpn. Kokai Tokyo Koho JP60, 178, 818 (85,178, 818).

 

The anti-inflammatory effect of rosemary extracts may be due to the

rosmarinic acid, ursolic acid and apigenin, all of which display this

action. Mascolo N. et al. 1987. Phytother. Res. 1. 1. 2.

 

Antibacterial: Rosemary oil was found to be very active in inhibiting

the growth of S. aureus, E. coli, S. pullorum, M. lueus and others.

Baratta M. Et al. 1998. Flav. and Fragr. J. 13. 235-244.

 

Rosemary EO was tested against a range of filamentus fungi and bacteria

including: C. albicans, Sa. cerevisiae, Ps. aeruginosa, Ps. putida,

Ps. flurescens, S. aureus, Mi. luteus, Mi. lysodeikticus, Proteus

vulgariws, Mycobacterium smegmatis, Shigella sonnei, E. coli, A. niger.

Aspergillus fumigatus, Cladosporium herbarum and Trichophyton

mentagrophytes. 0.01 ml of the oil was placed in the middle of a petrie

dish and the plates inoculated with the organisms. C. albicans was not

inhibited. S. cerevisiae was slightly inhibited. P. aeruginosa was 75%

inhibited. M. luteus was markedly inhibited. Most of the other

bacteria were slightly inhibited. Rosemary EO produced 100% inhibition

of sporulation of T. mentagrophytes, the main agent of dermatomycosis in

man. A. fumigatus the causative agent of respiratory diseases was also

inhibited. Jorge V. et al. 1995. Microbios 82. 171-172.

 

Rosemary oil powerfully inhibited the growth of gram+ Streptococcus

pyogens and Strept. faecalis and moderate activity against gram- E. coli

and Salmonella typhimurium. Boatto G. et al. 1994. Fitoterapia Vol.

LXI. No.3. 279-280.

 

Rosemary oil has anti-microbial actions. Dean S. & Ritchie G. 1987.

Int. J. of Food Microbiology 5, 165 -180.

 

I'll add that these studies are also courtesy of Martin Watt. And I

have one great study from a Balkan University showing the effectiveness

of Sage, Oregano and Rosemary in the production of organic crops - for

use as a natural pesticide.

 

In experiments using a variety of vaporised EOs, it was found that

rosemary produced a significant inhibition of a number of pathogenic

bacteria. Bardeau F. 1976. Chir. Dent. Fr. Sept. 29. 46 (319):53.

 

By adding rosemary EO to the soil, it increased the numbers of bacteria.

This seemed to stimulate soil respiration by shifting the balance from

fungi to favour bacteria. Vokou D. et al. 1984. Soil Biol. Biochem. 16,

5, 509-13. Note: Not a medical use, but included here as it increases

knowledge on the antibacterial effects of rosemary oil.

 

Antifungal:

In tests on 2 samples of rosemary oil, a good antifungal action was

detected against Candida, Cryptococcus and Mycobacterium, but not such

good activity against the other organisms tested. It was suggested that

the high anti-fungal activity would be useful for treating AIDS patients

with Cryptococcal meningitis and pneumonia and systemic Mycobacterium.

Soliman F. et al. 1994. Flav. Fragrance J. 9. 29-33.

 

I'll add that Rosemary is a common ingredient in many so-called AIDS

Cocktails. Doesn't cure but allows victims to live a more normal life

style. I had a customer who used to mix his own.

 

Antiviral: Combination of natural active substances for the treatment

of herpes. The Richtofit gel (active ingredients, rosmarinic acid and

glycerrhizin) for the control of herpes is described. Hangay Gy. et al.

1994. Olaj, Szappan, Kozmet. (Spec. issue) 30-2.

 

Rosmarinic acid was stated to be antiviral, antibacterial, antioxidant

and anti-inflammatory. This report specifically looks at the antioxidant

effects of Rosemary, but it also reports on the rosmarinic acid content

of a number of other plants. The yield of rosmarinic acid from dry

rosemary is 2.5%. It is notable that a number of other plants commonly

used in herbal medicine contain even higher amounts of this substance

than does rosemary. Lamaison J. et al. 1990. Fitoterapia. Vol. LXII.

No. 2. NOTE: Such actions explain some of the preservative properties

attributed to Rosemary particularly in cooking and food flavouring.

 

Inhibition of experimentally induced microvascular injury by rosmarinic

acid. In rabbits rosmarinic acid completely prevented the development of

the pulmonary oedema and multiple organ inflammation in this syndrome.

Nuytinck J. et al. 1985. Agents Actions. 17(3-4), 373-4.

 

The strong antioxidative activity of Rosmarinus officinalis and Salvia

officinalis is caused by phenolic diterpenes. Complement-dependent

stimulation of prostacyclin biosythesis: inhibition by rosmarinic acid.

Schwarz K., Ternes W: Z Lebensm. 1992. Unters Forsch: 195:2:95-8.

 

It has been suggested that rosmarinic acid may be useful as a potential

treatment for septic shock because it suppresses the endotoxin-induced

activation of complement, the formation of prostacyclin both hypotensive

phases, thrombocytopaenia, and the concomitant release of thromboxane

Ax. Tattje D. 1970. Pharm. Weekbl. 105. 1241.

 

SUGGESTED USES.

 

ROOM FRAGRANCE: When studying, it may help keep the mind alert. The EO

vapor may help reduce infectious airborn micro-organisms, but ensure

adequate room ventilation or eye irritation could occur. When using the

EO to enhance clarity of thought, try just one or two drops first to

avoid being overwhelmed. When using to help deodorize a room, try

combining with lemon to reduce the pungency of smell particularly if

there are young children or dogs in the house.

 

INHALATION: A few drops in some hot water and the vapors inhaled, is

ideal treatment for bronchial ailments, for coughs, colds, sinus

congestion and catarrh.

 

I'll add that one of my enployees used to suffer chronic sinus problems

to the point of very bad headaches .. now she just takes a few whiffs of

Rosemary EO and pretty soon, it clears up .. temporarily of course.

 

Rosemary acts as a cerebral stimulant, therefore it may be worth trying

for those cases of childhood overactivity where brain chemistry is

suspected of being disturbed. Recent reports have suggested that these

children may be overactive because their brain is craving for

stimulatory chemicals. It may seem the opposite to traditional

treatment of using sedative type oils, but the theory of providing

stimulation to the brain is certainly worthy of consideration.

 

BATHS: A few drops in the bathwater makes an excellent mental

stimulant. Its ideal for use following a restless or short sleep, it

refreshes and get you going.

 

MASSAGE: Rosemary is ideal for rheumatism or stiff joints (NOT

INFLAMMATORY ARTHRITIS). When combined with massage this oil is

wonderful for those people who always feel cold, or have very poor

peripheral circulation. It is excellent diluted as a chest rub or

inhalant for: bronchial conditions, coughs, colds, sinus congestion and

catarrh. It can act a wonderful 'a pick me up' if feeling 'down' as the

result of as a string of colds, flu and other debilitating ailments. It

may help lift mild depression or lethargy. It can be used to alleviate

the psychological debility caused by P.M.T, post natal depression or

menopausal depression.

 

For a muscle rub prior to active sport combine rosemary, juniper,

eucalyptus and cedarwood into a light cream or gel (1 drop of each oil

and 10 ml cream). For arthritis when combined with R. Chamomile or

Ginger 2:1, it appears to be helpful with a three times a day

application. After 14 days reassess and alter the combination it is

starts to become less effective.

 

Small amounts of Rosemary oil may be helpful in acne, particularly as a

back-up if tea tree oil does not work. A few drops can be added to any

shampoo to provide a pleasant fragrance and it has an ancient reputation

for enhancing the quality of the hair.

 

MEDICAL: A very useful oil for diffusing in crowded areas such as

waiting rooms to freshen the air and perhaps reduce microbial flora.

An excellent reviver for patients suffering from impaired mental

function caused by drugs of various kinds. A sniff of the neat oil may

subdue emotionally induced nausea. A potential additive for candidal

infestations where Tea tree is not working too well. An oil well worth

considering for infected wounds. Perfect for keeping your mind active

on long night shifts. A drop or two on a handkerchief or tissue will be

enough; sniff from it occasionally.

 

Rosemary oil blends well with Basil, Bergamot, Cedarwood, Citronella,

Eucalyptus, Juniper, Hyssop, Lavender, Lavandin, Marjoram, Mints,

Origanum, Pine needle, Olibanum, Petitgrain, Sage, Tea Tree.

 

Plant Rosemary in your garden and use the leaves regularly in food. It

contains some of the most powerful natural antioxidant chemicals known.

The best sources of these very important compounds are always from

natural foodstuffs, rather than from popping pills.

 

So .. there it is .. and extract of just a bit of the information in one

of the reports in the Essential Oil Monograph series.

 

Y'all keep smiling, Butch :-) http://www.AV-AT.com

 

Bulk/Wholesale/Retail GC Tested EO, Rose Otto, Hydrosols, Martin Watt's

Publications. EO Monographs http://www.AV-AT.com/monographs.html

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 2/3/2006 12:45:56 PM Pacific Standard Time,

butchbsi writes:

 

Thank you so much, Butch, as I sniff away at my Rosemary oil! Lol. Your post

is excellent..gonna cut and paste and put on my hard drive. I am also going to

print it out and put it in my herbal notebook! Blessed Be! Kaye

 

>

> Butch Owen <butchbsi

> Tue, 29 Jun 2004 23:03:16 -0700

> Rosemary, Cineole (Rosmarinus officinalis)

> ** Sorta Long

>