10 replies to this topic

[sub7]

Rosemary has been discussed very extensively here, so there is no need to go over the benefits really. However, this lovely study in C. Elegans caught my eye recently.... They tested tons of substances and Rosemary came out on top, beating such heavyweights as Curcumin

 

http://microbialcell...microbial-cell/

Applicable to humans? Impossible to know really.

 

What I really wanted to ask ıs how to consume it. If one were to take the whole plant itself as opposed to an extract, would the powdered form be a good solution. I located (here in Europe) a supplier of affordable Dried Rosemary Powder and was wondering if anyone ever looked into the topic. Generally these kinds of powders retain most benefits; however, if Rosemarinic Acid or Laricitrin (and the other actives in the plant) happen to be unstable unless preserved within the whole plant, the powder may be less useful. 

If the plant itself was easy or even feasible to consume I would but it unfortunately isn't.

Any ideas?

 

 

 

[Hip]

You find rosmarinic acid in lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) essential oil, at around 4 to 8%. Ref: here.

[sub7]

You find rosmarinic acid in lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) essential oil, at around 4 to 8%. Ref: here.

 

,

Extraordinarily useful input.

I owe you a beer or smoothie....

 

Anyone using Rosemary in any shape or form -plant extract or this sort of oil???

[Hip]

Extraordinarily useful input.

 

Rosmarinic acid is also found in rosemary essential oil.

 

The only problem with essential oils is that internal use is considered controversial by some (although I have taken many of the safer essential oil orally over the years). And the oral dose is measured in drops (so 3 drops might be a normal dose, and 10 drops a high dose). 

 

Thus you will not get much rosmarinic acid from 10 drops of lemon balm essential oil, only about 20 mg by my calculation.

 

I am not sure what a good rosmarinic acid dose is, but examine.com suggest 200 to 300 mg daily.

 

 

Thus you may be better off buying a rosemary supplement like this Swanson brand, which contains 30 mg of rosmarinic acid per capsule, and taking several capsules daily. 

 

I am currently looking for sources of rosmarinic acid, as it is a potent peroxynitrite scavenger (a nasty reactive substance made in the body and which causes a lot of damage).

[pamojja]

 

If one were to take the whole plant itself as opposed to an extract, would the powdered form be a good solution.

 

Finely powdered herbs are well known in Ayurveda as Churna, and usually considered most potent for half a year. If buying powdered often one can't know how many months its already sitting there powdered. Therefore mayby best to buy just regular organic dried rosmary, and mill it yourself in smaller quantities, as needed.

 

Rosmarinic acid content of different herbs:

http://phenol-explor.../polyphenol/461

[brundall]

This tea by Life Extension contains 130mg of Rosmarinic acid per serving - could be a decent, although expensive, option.

 

https://ca.iherb.com...wE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

 

[Hip]

Some other sources of rosmarinic acid:

 

https://purebulk.com/products/rosemary  — Cost = $0.002 per mg

https://nootropicsde...us-sage-powder/ — Cost = $0.07 per mg 

https://www.ilifelin..._capsules.html 

https://teamtlr.com/...0-extract.html 

https://www.british-...=27921892671562 — Cost = $0.02 per mg

[sub7]

Excellent input Gentlemen, Thanks a Ton.

 

Now if examine.com suggests 200 - 300 mg daily, the only realistic method might be the capsules. Reason being, these suggestions by sources such as Examine tend to be pretty conservative; they have to recommend a dose that will not pose a risk for even the at-risk populations. In addition the dose should be somewhat safe for continued use. To achieve dramatic effects many items need to be dosed at 2-3 times the dose for a short to moderate period of time (amd in many instances at 10 times the dose recommended to the general public).
Does the above specifically apply to rosmarinic acid? I don't know.

But even if, say 300 mg, is enough, the only dried herbal source that is somewhat feasible is peppermint.
According to the source posted (http://phenol-explor.../polyphenol/461) 100 gram of dried peppermint has 1700 mg of it. So you need to take 1 / 6 of a 100 gram pouch a day -meaning you go through one such pouch every 6 days... Man that's a ton of peppermint to take. Especially peppermint is known to be often contaminated with high amounts of pollutants and pesticides (just my recollection - no source available right now). If someone were to put some dried peppermint on his food few times a week, that's one thing. But finishing a 100 gram packet per week? That's no good. How the heck does one find an organic source -and then actually trust the claim that it is organic? 

OK let that pesticide issue aside. What other actives are in these plants -say in peppermint? I am sure nobody has studied them all. Even if we know the names of the other active constituents, we surely do not know  what their effects are at high doses over a period of time.

As far as the capsules: they are standardized to 500 mg of extract and it also says 6%  rosmarinic acid. So how much rosmarinic acid does each capsule contain? 500 mg or 6% of 500 mg which is 30 mg? Gotta be the latter..... If so, even this one is a no-go. We'd need 10 pills a day.

Damn...

Someone ressurect this project with a more upbeat assessment please, otherwise it will end up in the trash bin of longecity like so much else...

[pamojja]

There's also a lession to be learned from Ayurveda. While the western pharmaceutical model always tries to find the 1 active ingredient, in this case rosmarinic acid at at least 200mg, Ayurveda makes widespread use of synergies.

For example, if one wants the particular benefit of one herb in Ayurveda, the amount of the single dried herb is always in the many - up to 15-20 - grams. At least temporarily. If a collection of similiarly acting herbs is used in combination their effects add up in synergies - where 1+1=3 - and much less even as totals have to be taken. Longer term.

http://microbialcell...microbial-cell/

Applicable to humans? Impossible to know really.

There are many potentially synergistic ingredients in this list, which if taken at smaller amounts to add up to more than taken alone. Even at much lower concentrations.

The only yard-stick to know is by consistently experimenting. It's simply not feasible to take many grams of one spice for many years (and on top of it maybe become disappointed). But its very easy to take combination of veggies, fruits, herbs, spices and teas in the long run. Think eating curries while drinking peppermint tea. Along with only 1 capsules of a concentrated extract.

Even very easy to maintain for many years. And if in the end it failed, at least without the yuk-factor for also that long. But tasty.

[sub7]

Pamojja, thanks a lot for the comments. However, I am completely dismissive of Ayurvedic medicine and Other Eastern Teachings. 

 

This is an interesting research. Have not read it but check it out

https://www.ergo-log...e-curcumin.html

Amazingly pomegranate is second on the list, and obviously totally feasible to consume. Of course it is hard to know how much of it we really need. But it is very promising.

 

EDIT: Finally found what I was looking for

There is a special and patented variety of mint that has 20 times more of the active

https://www.ergo-log...-tea-a-day.html

The mint in question doesn't appear to be commercially available though

[pamojja]

Pamojja, thanks a lot for the comments. However, I am completely dismissive of Ayurvedic medicine and Other Eastern Teachings. 

 

This is an interesting research. Have not read it but check it out

 

Understand. I'm however not that much interested in theoretical research - with a PAD diagnosis 12 years ago (and a 60% walking-disabilty from that), and a COPD1 diagnosis 9 years ago. Both put in remission with a more feasible synergistic experimental approach. All natural molecules, except low-dose naltrexone and metformin.

 

Rosmarinic acid from a few plants, pomegranate and curcumin extracts are already part of my approach since many years. It already worked in my case.

 

Simply wouldn't have had the luxory of time waiting for a single extract becoming commercially available, or placing all my hope in only one compound for all my ills.

Edited by pamojja, 23 February 2021 - 04:36 PM.