Plenty of us keep a pot of rosemary on the kitchen windowsill. Brush the leaves with your fingertips and you get that piney lift; lay a sprig over a roast and it takes the edge off any gamey smell. Lately this familiar herb has caught researchers' attention for a rather different reason — they wanted to know whether it helps cells produce energy during stretches when the body is working unusually hard.
One from the Kitchen, One from the Hive
Rosemary is a Mediterranean herb. Its leaves contain antioxidant compounds such as rosmarinic acid and carnosic acid, which is why cooks have long used it to slow the rancidity of meat. Propolis is the substance honeybees make by gathering tree resin and packing it into the gaps in the hive. Rich in polyphenols, it guards the colony against bacteria and mold. What the two have in common is that both are full of compounds that hold oxidation at bay.
What Happens When the Body Is Working Overtime
Mitochondria are the parts of the cell that burn nutrients to make energy. The harder the body works, the busier they get. But the busier they get, the more of a byproduct called oxidative stress builds up alongside — and the efficiency of energy production tends to slip.
A pregnant ewe nearing lambing needs far more energy than usual. One research team gave ewes at this stage propolis extract and rosemary extract, each on its own and then together, and examined their liver tissue. In the groups that received both, the activity of energy-producing enzymes rose noticeably, and malondialdehyde — a marker of oxidative stress — was as much as 45% lower. The body's own protective antioxidant enzymes became more active as well.
That said, these results come from a study in sheep, not humans. The direction is encouraging — both ingredients may help support antioxidant defense and energy metabolism in a body under strain — but it's too early to promise the same effect in people. Better to think of them as good things to keep around the kitchen rather than as medicine for treating illness.
Working Them Into Your Meals
No need to make a project of it. Start by putting that windowsill rosemary to use.
- Drop a sprig of rosemary into a soup or over something roasting, and you get the fragrance along with the antioxidants.
- Steep the dried leaves in hot water for tea. One cup in the early evening and the aroma lingers for a good while.
- For propolis, look for products blended with honey and stir a spoonful into warm water or tea.
Just one thing to keep in mind: propolis comes from bees, so anyone with a honey or bee allergy should be careful. If you're pregnant or taking medication, talk with a professional before starting any new supplement. Tonight, dropping a single sprig of rosemary into the soup pot is plenty of a start.
Reference: A study on propolis and rosemary extracts and hepatic energy metabolism in sheep, published in the Open Veterinary Journal.
