Rosemary has a hypoglycemic action. This means that it acts by reducing blood sugars, thus proving to be an aid in case of high blood sugar and type 2 diabetes, the typical diabetes of adults. But how to take rosemary in order to benefit from this property? Surely by adding a few needles to culinary preparations but also by taking rosemary in the form of tea. Rosemary tea has been shown, indeed, to act by reducing the level of sugar in the blood. This was demonstrated by a recent scientific research published in the Journal of Population Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacology by a Mexican team (Quirarte Baez et al, Journal of Population Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacology, 2019).
Based on previous studies, it has been possible to establish that rosemary, in the form of a powder obtained from its needles, is able to reduce blood sugar, the lipid profile and the oxidation of fats. This effect seems to be traced back to the action of the active ingredients of rosemary, such as rosmarinic acid, which increase the absorption of glucose by the muscles, thus reducing blood sugar (Vlavcheski et al, Molecules, 2017). Researchers wondered if a rosemary tea could also have the same effect. The powder, in fact, must be taken in the form of capsules and requires high doses as the active ingredient must first be extracted and, only when it is mixed with the gastric juices, it is absorbed. 40 study participants took every day a liter of rosemary tea prepared with 2 grams of the plant. After 90 days, it was observed that rosemary tea had made it possible to reduce the body mass index and the waist-hip ratio. Not only that, rosemary tea also reduced insulin resistance and the presence of glycated hemoglobin. Glycated hemoglobin is a form of hemoglobin used to evaluate the concentration of glucose in the blood, and therefore the state of blood glucose, in the last 2 or 3 months.
Rosemary tea can therefore be considered a help in order to keep blood sugar under control. However, given the hypoglycemic action and the possible interactions of rosemary with some drugs such as anticoagulants or blood pressure medications, always ask your doctor for advice before starting any treatment with rosemary.
