With the exam season approaching and revision under way, university researchers have suggested that the smell of rosemary could enhance memory.<\/p>\n
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A study found that pupils working in a room with the aroma of rosemary, in the form of an essential oil, achieved 5% to 7% better results in memory tests.<\/p>\n
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Mark Moss from Northumbria University said the findings were consistent with tests on adults.<\/p>\n
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Dr Moss said the study supported traditional beliefs about rosemary.<\/p>\n
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He said that rosemary had been associated with memory for hundreds of years.<\/p>\n
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Ancient Greek students wore garlands of rosemary in exams – and Ophelia, in Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, says: “There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance.”<\/p>\n
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Herb power<\/strong><\/p>\n
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The study, to be presented this week at the annual conference of the British Psychological Society, will back the “received wisdom” that rosemary can assist memory.<\/p>\n
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In the tests carried out by Dr Moss and Victoria Earle, 40 pupils aged 10 and 11 carried out a series of memory tests in rooms with and without the aroma of rosemary.<\/p>\n
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The pupils did not know that they were taking part in memory tests related to scent – but Dr Moss said that those exposed to rosemary had on average an improvement of 5% to 7% in results.<\/p>\n
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This small-scale test followed up earlier research on adults which had suggested a link between rosemary and memory.<\/p>\n
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Dr Moss said it confirmed that children as well as adults seemed to be influenced.<\/p>\n
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But he said there was variability in the level of impact and some people did not seem to respond at all.<\/p>\n
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‘Electrical activity’<\/strong><\/p>\n
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He said the human sense of smell is highly sensitive and sends messages to the brain, setting off reactions and responses.<\/p>\n
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There are neurotransmitters in the brain associated with memory and Dr Moss suggests that these can be affected by scents.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
He described it as “almost like a drug interaction” where the brain is influenced by what is being inhaled.<\/p>\n
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“It could be that aromas affect electrical activity in the brain or that pharmacologically active compounds can be absorbed when adults are exposed,” he said.<\/p>\n
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Dr Moss said the next step should be to extend the study, with “large-scale trials of aroma application in education settings”.<\/p>\n
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\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Credit: The BBC <\/p>\n
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With the exam season approaching and revision under way, university researchers have suggested that the smell of rosemary could enhance memory.
A study found that pupils working in a room with the aroma of rosemary, in the form of an essential oil, achieved 5% to 7% better results in memory tests.
Mark Moss […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-391321","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-business"],"yoast_head":"\n
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A study found that pupils working in a room with the aroma of rosemary, in the form of an essential oil, achieved 5% to 7% better results in memory tests.
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