Protection of liver cells, support in fatty liver disease, the benefit of standardized extracts and even a protective effect when cooking meat: Dr Laure Martinat, anesthetist-resuscitator and expert in herbal medicine, deciphers what research can confirm today – and what it does not yet allow.
The true territory of rosemary: protecting the liver on a daily basis
In the abundant world of medicinal plants, few have as much promise as rosemary. However, when we move away from marketing discourse to focus on scientific data, one observation emerges: its main interest is not where many imagine it.
For Dr Laure Martinat, the liver is by far the area in which this plant best expresses its therapeutic potential.
“It is an exceptional plant for stimulating and protecting the organ from detoxification thanks to its so-called “collagogue” and “colleretic” properties. Clearly, it improves both the production of bile by the liver and its evacuation to the intestine, which optimizes digestion.she explains.
This action is far from being anecdotal. The liver plays a central role in the elimination of numerous substances from our diet, our environment or even certain drug treatments. When it is subjected to severe strain, inflammatory and oxidative mechanisms can gradually damage its cells.
It is precisely on this ground that rosemary seems to act.
According to the specialist, several molecules present in the plant – notably carnosol, carnosic acid and rosmarinic acid – have been the subject of numerous scientific studies.
“These molecules have been widely documented in the scientific literature to prove their effectiveness in the fight against inflammation and against oxidative stress.underlines Dr Martinat.
Concretely, these compounds act as a form of biological shield capable of limiting the attacks suffered by liver cells. A particularly interesting property in a context where alcohol, certain medications or even an unbalanced diet place heavy demands on this essential organ.
Faced with fatty liver disease, a promising but not miraculous ally
This hepatic protection is of particular interest to researchers in the context of a pathology that has become a real public health issue: metabolic hepatic steatosis, better known as fatty liver disease.
Long silent, this condition is characterized by a progressive accumulation of fats in the liver. Associated with being overweight, type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome, it affects several million people today. In this context, rosemary could constitute an interesting complementary support.
Dr Martinat, however, calls for caution. “Of course, this is not a miracle cure and it must be accompanied by an overall correction of lifestyle (weight loss, physical activity, reduction in alcohol consumption).”.
The message is essential: no plant can alone compensate for major metabolic risk factors. However, some data suggests that rosemary could help limit the mechanisms involved in the progression of the disease.
“Rosemary is a particularly interesting plant in this specific case, because it helps reduce lipid peroxidation mechanisms in the liver. It thus helps to limit the accumulation of fats and slow down cellular damage linked to oxidative stress.specifies the specialist.
In other words, rosemary does not act directly as a treatment for the disease, but could help slow down certain biological processes which promote the worsening of liver damage. An important nuance, which reminds us that herbal medicine often finds its place as an accompaniment, and not as a substitute for recognized medical measures.
This question of effectiveness then raises another very concrete question: how to consume rosemary to hope to benefit from its effects?
Herbal tea, food supplement or simple aromatic herb: how to get the most out of it?
For many consumers, the answer seems obvious: a good rosemary infusion should be enough. However, the reality is more complex.
The doses of active ingredients used in scientific studies are relatively high. To achieve the equivalent of approximately 280 mg of rosmarinic acid per day, one would need to consume between nine and ten cups of herbal tea daily. An unrealistic quantity, especially since the concentration of active molecules varies greatly depending on the quality of the plant, its origin or even its preparation conditions.
Faced with this variability, Dr. Martinat recommends a more rigorous approach when the objective is therapeutic.
“You must turn to food supplements in the form of standardized extracts in order to benefit from a well-defined formula, with strict and guaranteed contents of active ingredients.“.
However, this does not mean that rosemary in cooking is without interest. Quite the contrary.
The specialist draws attention to a little-known benefit which directly concerns summer habits. When meat is grilled or heavily seared, substances called heterocyclic amines can form in the most browned or charred parts. These compounds are considered potentially carcinogenic.
Rosemary could then play a protective role.
“To combat these compounds, you can add rosemary to your meat. Indeed, it contains powerful active ingredients, including rosmarinic acid and carnosol. When this aromatic herb is added directly to the meat during cooking, these antioxidants act as a shield.explains Dr. Martinat.
A simple, accessible gesture that is particularly suited to the barbecue season.
“It’s a simple and tasty health reflex that we absolutely must encourage!”she concludes.
What science cannot say about the heart
Rosemary is sometimes presented as a beneficial plant for cardiovascular health. However, scientific evidence remains insufficient to directly attribute this effect to it. Dr. Laure Martinat warns against frequent shortcuts. Some studies have actually observed cardiovascular effects linked to rosmarinic acid, a molecule present in rosemary. But this substance is also found in other plants such as lemon balm or mint.
“Although certain studies show that rosmarinic acid, present in rosemary but also in other plants, such as lemon balm or mint, has effects on the heart, we cannot attribute this property directly to rosemary.she explains.
And added: “Certainly, these plants share this common active ingredient (rosmarinic acid), but this is not enough to match the effects of one on the other.. To illustrate this confusion, the specialist uses a telling comparison: “It’s a bit like saying that oranges and kiwis have exactly the same nutritional and therapeutic virtues just because they both contain vitamin C..
In the current state of knowledge, rosemary therefore appears more as an ally of the liver than as a proven cardiovascular protector.
Rosemary is neither a miracle plant nor a simple aromatic ingredient. Behind his sometimes caricatured reputation as a detox champion, a more nuanced, but also more interesting, profile emerges. The most solid scientific data today concerns its ability to support liver function, to protect liver cells from oxidative stress and to support certain risky metabolic situations.
A promise less spectacular than the marketing slogans, undoubtedly. But perhaps also more precious: that of a plant whose real benefits are beginning to be better understood, as research refines its view.