The #1 Herb to Decrease Inflammation, According to Dietitians

Some inflammation is inevitable, like it or not. If you’ve ever slammed your finger in a door or stubbed your toe, you have experienced inflammation. This acute inflammation is part of the body’s natural healing process when you suffer from an injury (minor or major) or infection. But long-term chronic inflammation can be detrimental to your health.

Many factors, including what we eat, the amount of sleep we get, our stress levels and even environmental factors (like the air we breathe) can contribute to inflammation over time. This is why it’s important to take proactive measures to include a variety of health-promoting foods (and herbs) that can help decrease chronic inflammation. Let’s take a closer look at why rosemary is the No. 1 herb dietitians recommend to help decrease inflammation.

What Is Inflammation? 

As mentioned above, there are two types of inflammation: acute and chronic. While acute inflammation is short-lived, chronic inflammation is the opposite. It’s long-term and, over time, can wreak havoc on your health. In fact, one study found that chronic inflammation was a contributing cause to nearly half of deaths worldwide.

Chronic inflammation usually coexists with other health conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, neurologic conditions like Parkinson’s disease, gastrointestinal diseases like Crohn’s disease, and even mental health conditions like depression. Amber Pankonin, M.S., RDN, a registered dietitian and certified executive chef at Stirlist.com, shares, “It's important to remember that both genetics and diet can play a role in inflammation and disease. There are several studies that can point to how certain nutrients like heart-healthy oils, polyphenols and antioxidants may help reduce inflammation in the body. However, chronic inflammation has been linked to diseases like cancer, obesity, heart disease, diabetes and even depression.”

Thankfully, this doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune on expensive ingredients or supplements. Rosemary, a staple for chefs that runs around $2 to $3, may just be your new best friend in the kitchen!

The #1 Herb to Decrease Inflammation 

Rosemary, or Rosmarinus officinalis L., makes the list of one of the 14 herbs and spices dietitians recommend you eat, and also happens to be the No. 1 herb to help decrease inflammation. While its beautiful green hue may captivate your eye (and its aroma and flavor certainly will enhance your meals), rosemary is also packed with a slew of phytocompounds, or compounds that offer positive health benefits to the body, such as antioxidants. 

Pankonin shares, “Rosemary contains polyphenols that can exert anti-inflammatory effects by targeting different pathways involved in the inflammatory response. Specifically, rosemary contains compounds that can suppress cytokines which control inflammation in the body. Rosemary is also rich in antioxidants, which can help neutralize free radicals and reduce oxidative stress, which can improve cell health.”

A 2020 review evaluated the available research on rosemary and its role in nervous system disorders. Scientists found that rosmarinic acid and carnosic acid present in rosemary contained the most medicinal effects among the phenolic compounds. These compounds exhibited anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits that helped not only treat inflammation, but other conditions as well. Scientists concluded that rosemary should be considered as an alternative therapy for treating inflammation, pain, anxiety and memory disorders. However, since research available in this area is often conducted on animals, there is a need for more clinical studies before we can extrapolate results to humans. 

Similarly, an earlier review explored the compounds present in rosemary and the effects they exhibited on various disease conditions. Researchers found that the main phytocompounds that offered positive health benefits included: caffeic acid, carnosic acid, chlorogenic acid, monomeric acid, oleanolic acid, rosmarinic acid, ursolic acid, alpha-pinene, camphor, carnosol, eucalyptol, rosmadial and rosmanol. This supports the findings about rosmarinic acid and carnosic acid from other research, and offers new areas of exploration for future studies. While there is a need for further research on this topic, scientists did conclude that rosemary and rosemary extract or oil offered a plant product that could be used to help control a variety of inflammatory diseases. As always, talk to your health care team to see what is best for you before trying something new. 

More recent research explored rosmarinic acid and its use in the prevention and treatment of cancer due to its antioxidant properties. Antioxidants help rid your body of free radicals, which can cause cell damage and exacerbate tumors over time. Scientists concluded that rosmarinic acid should be considered as an additional treatment in cancer prevention since data is showing rosmarinic acid not only decreased chronic inflammation, but also oxidative stress and tumor growth.

Since the majority of this research has been conducted on animals, it’s important to consider safety for humans and what science is available so far on this topic. A 2021 review found that both rosemary extract and rosemary essential oil are considered safe and may have beneficial nutrition properties for the drinks they evaluated. While both rosemary extract and oil demonstrated positive antioxidant activity, the oil showed more activity. 

The Food and Drug Administration has deemed rosemary as an ingredient that is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for human consumption and use in products. That said, it’s important to speak with your health care team before adding a new supplement or oil into your routine. But luckily, you don’t need to wait on adding fresh and dried rosemary into your eating pattern!

Tips for Including Rosemary in a Healthy Eating Pattern 

Rosemary can be a delicious addition to a healthy eating pattern. While many recipes call for fresh rosemary, Pankonin shares that dried can make a nice swap if you’re out of fresh. She says, “If you can't find fresh rosemary for a recipe, use the 3-to-1 ratio rule. If a recipe calls for 3 teaspoons or 1 tablespoon of a fresh herb, use 1 teaspoon dried in its place. Dried herbs are typically more potent than fresh.”

If you’re new to rosemary, consider these tips from chef Pankonin:

• Add rosemary to olive oil or butter to create a dipping sauce or spread for bread. Or, try it in a dip like our Roasted Cauliflower and Walnut Dip with Fresh Rosemary. 
• Swap in rosemary when seasoning or marinating. If using in a marinade or sous vide, you can add a few sprigs. If you’re using it to season a protein like meat or tofu, remove the leaves from the stem and roughly chop. Combine the chopped rosemary leaves with salt and pepper to create a flavorful rub, like in our Rosemary Chicken with Sweet Potatoes. 
• Sprinkle rosemary on vegetables when roasting. Vegetables like potatoes, parsnips, turnips and cauliflower can be seasoned with oil, salt, pepper and rosemary to make a delicious side dish. These Garlic-Rosemary Mushrooms are also a great addition to your plate. 

The Bottom Line 

Adding herbs like rosemary to your eating pattern can be a great option to help better your health and lower inflammation levels. Not only has rosemary been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties, it also provides a wonderful aroma and flavor. While there is no need to run out and purchase a rosemary oil supplement (we still need more research to confirm its safety), think about simple ways you can incorporate fresh and dried rosemary into your regular diet. For example, a simple Egg Sandwich with Rosemary, Tomato & Feta can be a great way to start your day.