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Cass Ingram

Healthy Italian Centenarians Tied to the Wild Herb Rosemary

Healthy Italian Centenarians Tied to the Wild Herb Rosemary

Village of 100-YEAR-OLDS: Rosemary holds secret to Italian community with 300 centenarians

Could the wild and garden herb rosemary be directly tied to a most unusual finding: the existence of some 150 centenarians, that is 100 year-old-plus people for every 1000 inhabitants? The intake of this herb appears to be the definitive factor, and there is much research that would support this plausible hypothesis.
The national news is based on an investigation by Italian and US researchers into a coastal village in Italy, where it was found that there are some 300 centenarians among a population of 2000 residents, which is unheard of in all civilization. A team of scientists have been sent to the village to study this phenomenon, and thus far their conclusion is that the intake of rosemary is the most novel factor. This explains the following article title as published on Mar. 31  in the Express.co.uk by Giles Sheldrick:

SCIENTISTS are to study a village in which 300 residents have lived to the age of 100 to find the secret of a long and disease-free life.

Acciaroli and old man in front of rosemary
Researchers were stunned, he noted to discover such a concentration of 100 year-olds in one enclave, the Italian sea-side village of Acciaroli. Despite being 100 years old and even older these elderly people were found to be in “peak physical and mental condition” despite their increasing years. Moreover, it is reported, the “elderly population of Acciaroli in Italy’s Campania region has low rates of heart disease and Alzheimer’s.”
The village of Acciaroli is on the south-east coast of Italy
Investigators have no choice in the matter. They know full well that the use of rosemary by the centenarians and other villagers is extensive and highly unusual. No doubt, diet plays a role, as does exercise, as the elderly commonly make long walks up the mountain slopes. Yet, so do many other Italians. This alone cannot account for the nearly 20 year increase in lifespan for these villagers versus the rest of the population.
It is, regardless, no surprise that such an herbal agent could have this effect. After all, rosemary is one of the most potent antioxidants and also antiinflammatory agents known. It is also a well known supportive agent for heart function and is highly protective against cancer. Thus, if it reverses inflammation while also preventing cancer and heart disease, then surely rosemary would be the key factor in blocking age degeneration. Investigators attempting to confirm this include San Diego School of Medicine’s Alan Maisel, among others.
It is in a relatively remote area, regardless, and uphill walking, a necessity, also plays a significant role.  As it is a fishing community fresh fish is a major factor in the diet.
The villagers are resistant to Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, and heart disease. Surely, the intake of rosemary, which is “infused” in virtually everything, plays a preeminent role.
Scientific studies confirm the findings
A plethora of scientific studies confirm the role of rosemary, both the actual herb as well as the essential oil and its components, in life extension. For instance, in work on the fruit fly Zhang and his group found, publishing in Zhang published in Food Research and Development, that rosemary extract did, in fact, extend the lives of the flies, largely by enhancing superoxide dismutate and catalase activity, which are potent enzymes that block oxidative damage. In mice with neurodegenerative disease, for instance, the model for ALS, the administration of one of the herb’s key components, rosmarinic acid, led to an increase in lifespan while also aiding in nerve and muscle function in this systematic, degenerative disease.  Moriwaka found that the herb itself had a significant impact on longevity in the key model for life extension, the life span of the worm, Caenorhabditis elegans.
Furthermore, as a fat soluble antioxidant rosemary prevents degeneration of the brain while also boosting nerve cell regeneration. It is one of the most potent natural medicines for increasing alertness and mental clarity as well as for blocking memory loss. There is sound reason the medieval scholars deemed “rosemary for remembrance,” that is for memory enhancement.
Rosemary is also a potent anti-pain and antiinflammatory agent, particularly the wild-source material. It is the oil of wild rosemary that offers the greatest powers in this regard, particularly when combined with oils of wild oregano and sage.
Surely, to gain its benefits the intake of the raw herb can be increased. Yet, wild rosemary is far more potent than the commercial type. This is also true of wild rosemary-based extracts. The following wild rosemary concentrates/extracts are available on the market:

  • wild Mediterranean-source high mountain rosemary oil (in extra virgin olive oil), as sublingual drops
  • bone-activating rubbing oil
  • bone-activating rosemary-sage-wild oregano-based capsules
  • essence or hydrosol of wild rosemary
  • powdered multiple Mediterranean wild and organic herb and spice complex for adding to food, soup, stew, and vegetable juices (known as BoneComplete)

Take advantage of wild rosemary in every way possible. Use the fresh and dried herb. Also, consume the concentrates and supplements, particularly the oil drops under the tongue in an extra virgin olive oil emulsion as well as the essence or hydrosol. Through this, the individual will experience a significant improvement in health and, perhaps, the prevention of premature death.
Sources:
http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/656896/Rosemary-secret-Italian-village-300-centenarians

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Shimojo Y1, Kosaka K, Noda Y, Shimizu T, Shirasawa. 2010. Effect of rosmarinic acid in motor dysfunction and life span in a mouse model of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J. Neurosci Res.88(4):896-904.
Moriwaki, T., Kato, S., Kato, Y., Hosoki, A., and QM Zhanq-Akiyama. 2013. Extension of lifespan and protection against oxidative stress by an antioxidant herb mixture complex (KPG-7) in Caenorhabditis elegans.  J. Biochem. Nutr. 53:81.
 

 
 
 

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