This article is powered by Rosemary essential oil – and there’s a reason for that.

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) has long been thought to stoke memory in folklore. Now that science has been putting those uses through clinical human trials – we can see that the things of folklore are oft based on truth.

As soon as UK students heard about one such recent study they presumably rushed out to buy some and increase brain power. You see, they are now going through their GCSEs and A-level exams and are looking for ways to increase memory and retention.

They may have found the edge they were looking for.

NYR Natural News reports on a recent study presented ahead of publication the British Psychological Society Annual Conference in Brighton :

Dr Mark Moss and Victoria Earle of Northumbria University co-authored the study, which looked at 40 children aged 10 to 11.  The children were randomly assigned to a room that had either rosemary oil diffused in it for ten minutes or a room with no scent and then given a class based test involving different memory games.

Analysis revealed that the children in the rosemary scented room received significantly higher scores than the non-scented room. Overall, the students exposed to rosemary aroma achieved 5% to 7% better results in memory tests; the test to recall words demonstrated the greatest difference in scores.

Dr. Mark Moss notes:

Why and how rosemary has this effect is still up for debate. It could be that aromas affect electrical activity in the brain or that pharmacologically active compounds can be absorbed when adults are exposed.

We do know that poor working memory is related to poor academic performance and these findings offer a possible cost-effective and simple intervention to improve academic performance in children. The time is ripe for large-scale trials of aroma application in education settings.

NYR Natural News says, Britain’s largest health food retailer Holland and Barret has seen sales of rosemary essential oil increase by 270% after publication of the study and by 187% compared to last year. The students (or perhaps parents) have rushed out to buy the elixir to boost exam results.

A similarly performed study in 2003 found that Rosemary essential oil increased alertness, memory and contentedness, but was not helpful for anxiety. On the other hand, while lavender essential oil was great for anxiety, it may have impaired recall. It appears that lavender may be more useful for pre-test jitters days before exams or to go to sleep whereas Rosemary essential oil can trigger alertness and greater memory during the exam.

*DISCLAIMER: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Caution – should not be exposed to cats. Keep out of reach of children, pregnant or nursing women need to ask a doctor before use.