Today Cathy Isom answers a question many of us, and researchers, have had. Could there be an herbal secret to a longer life? That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
Herb Life Secret
Researchers from U-C San Diego wanted to why people living in a small town in Italy lived such remarkably long lives. So, they camped out in (Aw-CHEER-lee) Acciaroli for awhile and this is what they discovered. One out of every 60 people is 90 years old or older. 15-percent of the 2,000 people living there are actually over the age of 100. And very few have the diseases that affect the elderly, such as cataracts, Alzheimer’s, and heart disease. Researchers also discovered that Acciaroli residents eat a lot of Rosemary. Rosemary has been found to contain antioxidant properties, as has also capable of fighting off bacteria and fungi in test tubes.
Aromatherapy using rosemary oil was shown in some studies to increase memory function and reduce anxiety. There’s even the possibility that many of the various other compounds in rosemary can slow the proliferation of cancer cells. Most of the research on rosemary is so new it’s still debatable whether it really could be a cause of long life. In the meantime, we know it goes well with olive oil and crusty bread.