Did you know that the pungent-smelling herb salvia rosmarinus (rosemary) has long been identified as a powerful cognitive enhancer? Greek scholars allegedly wore rosemary in their hair to improve their memory during exams. Shakespeare’s Ophelia famously mentions rosemary ‘for remembrance’ in Hamlet.
Mark Moss and his colleagues (2017) published the first evidence that rosemary could significantly improve memory. In their study, 40 nine- to eleven-year-olds were randomly allocated to either the experimental (rosemary) group or the control group. Both groups completed a series of four short-term memory tests including immediate serial recall of words, digits and sentences. Both groups used the same quiet room, but the room was scented with rosemary oil for the experimental group but not the control group. The researchers found that the children in the rosemary group scored significantly higher than the control group on three of the four tests.
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