NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE REPORT

May be useful for:

• Cancer: Rosemary oil has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, which test-tube studies suggest may be toxic to cancer cells (28Trusted Source, 29Trusted Source, 30Trusted Source).

• Liver and digestive health: Animal studies indicate that rosemary oil may stimulate the release of bile, which is important in fat digestion, and activate your own antioxidant defense mechanisms to protect your liver (31Trusted Source, 32Trusted Source, 33Trusted Source).

• Food poisoning: Rosemary oil can help inhibit the growth of certain strains of bacteria that cause food poisoning. This requires using precise, very small amounts of food-grade oil. Don’t experiment with this at home (34, 35).

• Antibiotic side effects: Rosemary and other essential oils may increase the effectiveness of certain antibiotics. This may allow for a lower dose of these drugs, which could reduce side effects (3Trusted Source, 36Trusted Source).

• Antibiotic resistance: Rosemary and other essential oils may weaken the cell walls of antibiotic-resistant bacteria — not only damaging them but also enabling antibiotics to enter (3Trusted Source
  , 37, 38Trusted Source).