This video, titled "Rosemary" by Deb Ford DCN RDN, explores the many health benefits of rosemary, calling it a "pharmacy in a sprig." The speaker highlights how rosemary supports brain health, boosts metabolism, protects the heart, and promotes hair growth. She uses the long-living village of Acharoli, Italy, as an example of people who consume a lot of rosemary and experience remarkable health and longevity. The video explains the specific compounds in rosemary, like carnosic acid and rosemarinic acid, that contribute to these benefits.
Key Takeaways
1
Rosemary is an aromatic herb with scientifically proven benefits for enhancing brain function, boosting metabolism, protecting the heart, defending cells, and potentially helping with hair regrowth and cataracts.
2
The village of Acharoli, Italy, is a "longevity village" where residents consume extremely aromatic rosemary daily and experience exceptional health, with many living over 100 years old with virtually no dementia or significant cataracts.
3
Carnosic acid, a powerful antioxidant in rosemary, acts as a "brain's bodyguard" by protecting nerves, crossing the blood-brain barrier, and potentially slowing the progression of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
4
Rosemarinic acid is an antioxidant powerhouse that neutralizes free radicals, improves immune and respiratory response, supports gut and skin health, and acts as a potent inflammation extinguisher.
5
The compound 1,8-cineole (eucalyptol) in rosemary improves alertness, mental accuracy, enhances memory recall, and increases oxygen delivery to the brain.
6
Camphor, another compound in rosemary, is a strong disinfectant, improves topical circulation and scalp conditions, and is antifungal, explaining why rosemary oil is popular for hair growth.
7
Urusolic and oleanolic acids in rosemary help activate brown fat, boost metabolism, support lean muscle, improve glucose metabolism, and protect the liver.
8
Rosemary promotes hair growth and scalp health by increasing scalp circulation, reawakening follicles, and preventing inflammation-related hair loss, showing similar effectiveness to minoxidil in studies.
9
Rosemary offers a "poly-pharmacy" approach, meaning its many compounds work together synergistically to provide comprehensive health benefits across multiple pathways.
10
For consistent benefits, rosemary should be incorporated into daily life through cooking, topical application of diluted essential oil, or diffusing its aroma.
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0:05
Good morning and welcome to today's
0:08
nutrition where every episode is about
0:10
helping you lose weight, feel great, or
0:12
live longer better with all the science
0:15
mixed in. And today we're going to spice
0:18
things up a little bit with one of those
0:20
herbs that has become one of my all-time
0:23
favorites, rosemary. This little
0:26
aromatic herb that's been flavoring
0:29
chicken and soups and roasted potatoes
0:32
for century. Today's science is proving
0:35
what traditional medicine has always
0:38
known. Rosemary doesn't just make your
0:40
food taste delicious. It enhances your
0:43
brain. It boosts your metabolism. It
0:46
protects your heart. It defends your
0:49
cells. And it may even be defending
0:53
against cataracts.
0:55
And what what is this? It helps regrow
0:58
hair. And that's the whole pharmacy in a
1:02
sprig. So, let's dive into the real
1:05
living proof of how it works in that
1:08
little rosemary soaked longevity
1:11
village. I love to talk about Acharoli,
1:15
Italy. Right there on the coastline.
1:18
These people don't just grow old. They
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grow bold, active, engaged, laughing,
1:24
loving, cooking, fishing, dancing. Oh my
1:27
goodness. No chronic disease, stealing
1:30
their joy, and they're not genetically
1:33
different from us. Out of a thousand
1:35
residents, 300 are over 100 years old,
1:39
virtually no dementia, zero significant
1:42
cataracts, despite living in the blazing
1:45
coastal sun. They don't take hormones,
1:48
but let me tell you, their hormones are
1:50
doing just fine. And they don't live in
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doctor's offices taking lots of drugs.
1:56
Matter of fact, their cardiovascular
1:58
profile looks more like a 20-year-olds.
2:02
What are they doing? Well, many things.
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But they consume extremely aromatic
2:09
rosemary every day. It grows in their
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hills, in their window boxes. Their
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rosemary is stronger and more aromatic
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than anywhere else in the Mediterranean.
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They are the epicenter of rosemary. And
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these residents of Acharoli,
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they're aging more like wine than milk.
2:30
Among the healthy practices that I talk
2:33
about in my book, Get Out of Hormone
2:34
Hell: Six Heavenly Steps to Lose Weight,
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Feel Great, and Reverse Aging. Yes, they
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live that heavenly lifestyle already. H
2:43
for hibernate. Yeah, they get heavenly
2:45
sleep. E for exercise. Oh my gosh, they
2:48
are walking actively outdoors all day. A
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avoiding aggravations. They've got low
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stress living. V for viewpoint. Yes, a
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very faithful positive outlook. E, yes,
3:03
they eat a fresh Mediterranean rich diet
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rich in omega-3s. Omega-3 from
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anchovies. and n avoiding those noxious
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toxins. Clean air, no factories, minimal
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toxins, and a ton of rosemary in nearly
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every dish. So, let's talk about what
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makes rosemary so powerful, so potent,
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and you're going to see why I call it a
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polyarm pharmacy in a delicious plant.
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So, first of all, rosemary's superhero
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squad of bioactive compounds
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includes many things, but to let you
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know, it is part of the mint family. The
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same one that gives us oregano and basil
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and thyme that yes, they also eat a lot
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of. And rosemary though takes first
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place for its chemical composition. And
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here are the big chemicals that are
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included.
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carnosic acid which is a phenolic
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durpine to get kind of technical but it
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is the most valuable antioxidant in
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rosemary carnosic acid think of it as
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the brain's bodyguard it protects the
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nerves from oxidative stress rusting it
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helps cross the bloodb brain barrier so
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it is really protecting those neurons
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helps prevent toxins from damaging the
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brain cells cells and may even slow
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progression of Alzheimer's and
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Parkinson's disease. It does not just
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sit around. It changes. It transforms
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into carnosol, an even more stable
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compound when put under stress. Like too
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many UV rays from the sun, too much
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heat, and you know, in southern Italy,
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it gets a lot of both. It doesn't wilt.
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It becomes a superhero who gets even
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stronger in battle. Yeah, that carnosic
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acid actually changes into carnosol,
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another durpine, which it's even bigger
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and bolder in its anti-inflammatory,
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antimicrobial and anti-cancer effects
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known in research. It also
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reduces apoptosis which means cell death
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in brain neurons when needed. So this
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one isn't just working on amalloid
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plaque like many Alzheimer's drugs
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target because we know that doesn't
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work. It supports multiple brain
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pathways.
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It doesn't just target one like drugs
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do. That's where you get into trouble.
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It hits multiple. So it is balancing.
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That's just one. Now we have rosemarinic
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acid. Oh, an antioxidant powerhouse. It
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neutralizes free radicals fast. It
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improves immune response and respiratory
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immunity, colds, coughs. It supports gut
6:09
and skin health. Is this why they have
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low skin cancer rates even though they
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live on the sunny coastline? And heaven
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knows those fishermen get a lot of sun.
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And it also calms inflammation even in
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the brain. Rosemarinic acid is why
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rosemary helps with viral defense,
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allergies, asthma, and inflammatory
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bowel conditions. Yeah, it is a potent
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inflammation extinguisher. They're
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finding it even calms mast cells which
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are related to allergic reactions and it
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helps inhibit viruses and bad bacteria
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including some drugresistant strains.
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See what I mean? Wow. The research on
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rosemary
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protects the skin from UV radiation. It
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helps improve collagen maintenance,
7:00
improves wound healing, and reduces
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scarring. And I'll get into more of this
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later, but it's really good for hair
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follicles. So, younger skin, sharper
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brain, all from an herb can grow in a
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coffee mug. Next one. Sometimes they
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call it eucalypt, but it's also 18
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senoli, which gives it the smell. The
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smell of rosemary is very distinctive.
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And this is a tarpine they have studied
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to improve alertness, mental accuracy,
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enhancing memory recall. What we've
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found is it improves oxygen delivery to
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the brain and it helps other compounds
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penetrate the skin and scalp for
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balancing. So it's antimicrobial.
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It's just a lot of good things for above
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the neck. So just breathing it. Studies
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have shown it helps you think faster.
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Impossible, you say? Well, there's a lot
8:01
of research to back that up. So, next
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time you have to be sharper, think of
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tucking a little rosemary away for that
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edge you need. It's kind of like aroma
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therapy with teeth. Then there is
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another compound in here called campher.
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You might have thought about that in
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grandma's chest rub, but this camper is
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a strong disinfectant. Excellent for
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topical circulation,
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improves scalp conditions that block
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hair growth, think DHT, and it is a
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circulation stimulate all while being
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antifungal. Think dandruff. So, why is
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rosemary oil exploding in hair growth
8:43
research? You can see why.
8:46
Then there are some trurpines
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orolic acid and oolonic acid. They're
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kind of like muscle builders and belly
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fat burners. Buddies together that are
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doing a lot to increase brown fat
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activation, which is your metabolism. If
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you can activate that brown, you got a
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real edge. It supports lean muscle. It
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improves glucose metabolism. helps
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protect the liver from toxins and it is
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under study for anti-cancer effects.
9:21
Your solic acid is so athletic they say
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it should be given along with every gym
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membership but they really are the gym
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trainers of yourselves. Then I love
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these. These are the flavonoids and I
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started taking flavonoids oh probably 40
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years ago when I used to bruise so
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badly. Great for the skin. Ludolin,
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epigenine, Hesperden. Think of these as
9:49
your vascular plumbers or brain
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therapists. Ludolin improves learning
9:55
and reduces brain inflammation.
9:58
Appinogen great for UV skin protection
10:02
and liver defense. And Heperdin at right
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along there with root is great for your
10:07
blood vessels. So, they're reinforcing
10:10
the heart, the brain, and oh my gosh,
10:14
they just help pump everything through
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there together. It's kind of like
10:18
synergistic protection with herbs,
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especially, you can see here with
10:23
rosemary. It's 1 + 1 + 1 does not equal
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three. It equals 10. Which of course is
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not your usual math, not literally. But
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you get the idea. It works together for
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so many things. That's why you see I say
10:37
rosemary is polyfarm pharmacy in a
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plant. Rosemary isn't a single approach.
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Multipathways,
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neuro metabolic support and is it why
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they have cardiovascular profile of a
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20-year-old. They have no cataracts and
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virtually no dementia. I mean active
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love life. This herb and the way they
10:59
live is wonderful. So now we can connect
11:02
the compounds with real life benefits.
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Benefit number one we're looking for
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boosting the brain power and memory.
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That's the carnosic acid and the 18
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senoli along with ludolan memory
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retention improve learning and
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processing helping neurons survive
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longer and improving blood flow to the
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brain while reducing brain inflammation
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and oxidative stress. One study even
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showed increased memory speed in older
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adults simply by using rosemary powder.
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Even the aroma of rosemary increases
11:45
alertness and memory accuracy. So, you
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know, if next time you have to study for
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something or you really want to retain
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some information, think about maybe
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diffusing some rosemary oil, maybe
11:59
having a cup of rosemary tea, or a
12:02
pre-est meal could be rosemary roasted
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veggies. Second benefit for the healthy
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gut and a strong metabolism.
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Rosemarinic acid and carnosol stimulate
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the bile. So that's going to help digest
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fat and bind toxins. Also going to
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improve insulin sensitivity, reduce gas,
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bloating, and indigestion.
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Supporting the good gut microbiome.
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So it does so many things. Better
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digestion
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we know means more balanced hormones,
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better immune system, better metabolism,
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better brain. A small herb with a huge
12:44
metabolic shift. And then of course,
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rosemary as the heart healer. It is a
12:51
hero for the heart. Inflammation plus
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oxidative stress equals hardening of the
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arteries and high blood pressure. But
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Rosemary says, "Uh-uh.
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Could this be the big reason why
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residents of Achioli have the
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cardiovascular profile of a 20year-old?
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Could be the carnosic acid, could be the
13:13
your solic acid, could be the hesperin
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in there because all of those are going
13:17
to work with blood pressure,
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cholesterol, decreasing the risk of
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stroke, heart disease, and improving
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circulation." Yes. Okay. Benefit number
13:26
four, immune and detox support. Carnosol
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and the rosemarinic acid along with
13:33
camphor fight bacteria, fungus and
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viruses, all those nasty organisms that
13:40
can interfere with health. Reduces
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oxidative stress, supports liver, and
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boosts lymphatic drainage.
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So many things are in rosemary. And then
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of course just for a little vanity, it
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does promote hair growth and scalp
14:01
health.
14:03
Increases, and this isn't folklore,
14:05
there's been research, increases scalp
14:07
circulation. It reawakens follicles and
14:10
it prevents inflammation related hair
14:13
loss. Also, there is a study ran 6
14:16
months that found it was as effective as
14:20
the drug minoxidil
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without side effects. But like all
14:26
herbs, it is the continued use that
14:28
really brings home the benefits. Could
14:31
this be why those Italian fishermen have
14:35
a full head of hair at 95? Maybe. Why
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not? You can use it in the kitchen.
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great culinary use. You can use it as a
14:46
topical essential oil. You can breathe
14:49
it, diffuse it in the air for focusing
14:53
during work, spray it on your scalp few
14:56
times a week. Health is built in micro
14:59
winds, not just an occasional big
15:03
gesture. It is consistency that matters
15:07
day in and day out. It's what you're
15:08
doing, not what you do once in a while.
15:11
Just like an acharoli, tiny herb,
15:14
massive lifestyle upgrade. Like I say,
15:18
they're not any different from us. As
15:20
always, I hope this inspires you to
15:23
spice up your life with rosemary. I've
15:26
got a big bush in my kitchens. No, now I
15:29
have three big bushes in my kitchen and
15:32
they grow so fast in the sun. I have to
15:35
keep harvesting them in my food so it
15:38
doesn't take over my kitchen. We also
15:41
have several at the shop that I would
15:45
love to find deserving homes for. So, if
15:49
you're interested in one of these
15:51
rosemary bushes that you will love and
15:54
cultivate and use, stop in and ask about
15:57
adopting one of them. Grow it in your
16:00
kitchen. It is health that is
16:02
affordable, accessible, delicious, and
16:06
now we can say it is scientifically
16:10
proven to help you live longer, better
16:14
brain benefits, heart and metabolism,
16:18
hair growth, safety notes. There are a
16:21
couple things. Of course, cooking with
16:22
it, no problem. Diluted topically, the
16:26
essential oil, excellent. Pregnant
16:28
individuals, of course, I'm very
16:30
cautious. Avoid large doses and people
16:32
on blood thinners or a lot of medication
16:35
always check with your pharmacist. That
16:37
is why food first, supplement second.
16:41
Now I like to always promote the
16:43
heavenly lifestyle. So heavenly plus
16:46
rosemary, you've got longevity synergy.
16:50
So H for hibernate, it is so calming. So
16:53
you're going to have better sleep and
16:55
less stress. E for exercise. It is
16:58
improving circulation. and promotes
17:01
muscular growth. A avoiding aggravation,
17:06
less more resilience,
17:08
less stress and viewpoint. I guess it
17:11
does help with mood, mental clarity,
17:14
brain health. E for eating properly says
17:18
it for itself. And then noxious toxins.
17:21
It really does help the detox pathways
17:23
get things cleared up. Rosemary couldn't
17:26
be more onbrand with the heavenly
17:29
approach to living. It is a tiny little
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herb with great scientific credentials
17:35
to promote the health of the brain. It
17:38
loves the heart. It loves a good robust
17:40
metabolism. Great for the hair and skin.
17:43
It fights inflammation and infections.
17:45
It supports the liver and it strengths
17:48
longevity pathways. So, no wonder people
17:52
in Acha don't just live long, they live
17:55
well. So, we can take a page from their
17:58
rosemary scented playbook. Have it every
18:02
meal. Make it part of your life. Thanks
18:05
again for joining me on today's
18:07
nutrition. You can listen again to this
18:10
podcast or other podcasts on
18:12
debford.com,
18:13
YouTube under Dr. Debb Ford, or really
18:15
any place you listen to podcast under
18:18
today's nutrition. Have a heavenly day.
18:20
And sprinkle a little bit of my rosemary
18:23
magic into it.
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Rosemary
Deb Ford DCN RDN
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Dec 21, 2025
18:25
Acciaroli, Italy Here, people don’t grow old — they grow bold. Active. Engaged. Laughing. Loving. Cooking. Fishing. Dancing. With no chronic diseases stealing their joy. Out of 1,000 residents: • 300 are over 100 years old • Virtually no dementia • Zero significant cataracts — despite blazing coastal sun • They don’t take hormones • They don’t live in doctor offices • Their cardiovascular health looks like a 20-year-old American. Except—they’re doing one thing MORE: