A study claims memory can be improved by smelling rosemary.
A quote from Shakespeare’s play Hamlet says: “There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance: pray you, love, remember.”
Scientific research from the University of Northumbria has found that the scent of rosemary might actually improve memory function.
The study involved a group of 66 people that were given memory tests.
Some of the subjects were tested in a room that smelled like rosemary, and some of them took the test in a room that had no scent.
Subjects performed better in the room that had a rosemary scent, which leads the researchers to believe there is a connection between improved memory function and the rosemary aroma from essential oils.
The test involved prospective memory, or the ability to remember things that are going to happen in the future, like what tasks to complete at what time.
Jemma McCready, co-author of the study said: “It supports our previous research indicating that the aroma of rosemary essential oil can enhance cognitive functioning in healthy adults, here extending to the ability to remember events and to complete tasks in the future.”
