If you've got a project or test coming up, consider slamming a chicken in the oven with a whack of rosemary. Because according to a new study, exposure to the pungent, piney herb helps boost cognitive performance and mood.
In a study released February 24 and published in the journal Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology, a team of British researchers say they've been able to show for the first time that blood levels of a rosemary oil component -- 1,8-cineole -- correlated with improved cognitive performance.
After exposing 20 volunteers to varying levels of rosemary aromas, researchers tested their cognitive performance and mood with speed and accuracy tests and mood assessments.
Blood samples were taken to measure the amount of 1,8-cineole participants had absorbed.
Results showed that the higher the concentration, the better their performance in both speed and accuracy.
But it doesn't come up all roses for the herb. While it may help boost brain power, rosemary was also found to have an inverse relationship with contentedness: the higher the concentration of 1,8-cineole, the less content the subject became.
The same substance is also found in other aromatic plants like eucalyptus, bay, wormwood and sage.
The new study builds on previous research which found that rosemary can also help fight free radical damage to the brain.
The antioxidants in rosemary can also be used for cancer prevention, said a 2008 study published out of the US. Adding it to hamburgers, for instance, was shown to break down potentially cancer-causing compounds that form when meat is cooked.