Rosemary has been around for a long time. It therefore enjoys a long list of claims regarding its medicinal value, including use as a tonic, a digestive aid, a treatment for depression, headaches and muscle spasms and as an expectorant. It is recognized as a promoter of menstrual flow and stimulant for the production of bile.
Rosemary is a stimulant of the circulatory system. Externally, it is used to treat bites, stings, sores, eczema, bruises and wounds. It is also used in lotions to ease rheumatism and arthritis Mixed with borax and used cold, it is said to make a nice-smelling hair wash that can prevent dandruff and stimulate hair growth. Rosemary is particularly effective at treating oily skin and oily hair, helping to restore proper balance and oil levels.
Rosemary's powerful antimicrobial properties help to prevent infections and treat skin conditions such as athlete's foot, psoriasis, eczema, shingles and neuralgia.
Internally, it's used to treat migraines, bad breath and to stimulate the sexual organs (but it can be an irritant to the stomach, intestines and kidneys, so use it sparingly). Rosemary is also used to treat nervous disorders, upset stomachs and to regulate the menstrual cycle and ease cramps. Mix the crushed leaves generously into meats, fish, potato salads, etc. at your next picnic to prevent food poisoning. The essential oil is used in aromatherapy as an inhalant and decongestant and to enhance memory and clear concentration.
Rosemary is taken by mouth to treat indigestion, headache, stress, nervous tension, as well as to promote menstrual flow and to raise low blood pressure. It's put on the skin to stop redness and pain and to treat fibromyalgia and sciatica (pain in the muscles and nerves). Rosemary oil has been used to promote wound healing.
The most common doses for rosemary are listed below.Rosemary contains more than 240 medicinally and nutritionally active compounds. Of these compounds, carnosol, carnosic acid, rosmarin and diosmin are of particular interest to medical researchers. Carnosic acid, a diterpene found in only two plants, is one of rosemary's extremely potent antioxidant, anticancer and antimutagenic agents.
Rosemary's medicinal compounds act as healing and health-promoting agents and, in combination, are exceptionally strong. Oil of rosemary can be used to improve health internally, externally and through aromatherapy, effectively supporting the body's immune, digestive, circulatory and respiratory systems. This wide spectrum of actions enables rosemary to act as a healer and preventative for a multitude of health conditions affecting vital body systems. An exceedingly powerful anti-oxidizing, liver supporting, anticancer, pain relieving and memory-enhancing agent, rosemary is also antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral. Rosemary's antioxidant action is more potent than vitamin E and is in fact so powerful that the U.S. government has issued several patents for the use of rosemary extracts as commercial antioxidants.
Multiple trials have demonstrated rosemary's ability to kill numerous harmful and potentially deadly organisms including Candida, Salmonella, Staphylococcus, E.Coli and Aspergillus bacteria.Interestingly, researchers have found evidence to support the traditional belief that rosemary is a valuable aid to memory, establishing that after a rosemary aromatherapy session participants were more alert, had lower anxiety and performed math computations much faster.
Source: http://www.kitchenmedicinebook.com/016789.html