SARAH BUSCHO

Want to feel a jolt of mental clarity without drinking an espresso? Try a cup of rosemary tea.

Ingesting rosemary brings blood to the brain, improving clarity of thought, concentration and memory and alleviating headaches. It even helps tone your digestion. As one of the major cancer preventing herbs, it’s packed with more than twelve antioxidant compounds.

Most of us associate this herb with delicious roasted chicken, but it has actually been grown in gardens since ancient times to protect against evil spirits. It is an emblem of fidelity for lovers, used in wedding bouquets to remind couples of their vows. It has even been found wrapped around Egyptian mummies.

Externally, rosemary essential oil also increases circulation, which eases muscular pain, speeds healing and even helps with sciatica. (A few small sprigs of fresh rosemary or a few drops of its essential oil can be thrown in a bath for circulation and aromatherapy benefits.)

But where rosemary really shines is as a topical stimulant to hair follicles and circulation on the scalp: it’s a fantastic remedy for premature baldness or for anyone who wants to stimulate hair growth.

Best of all, rosemary is safe for people of all ages (though it should be avoided during pregnancy because it can be a uterine stimulant).

Ultimately, it’s a very powerful herb.