Recently, there has been a growing research interest in rosemary, a common household plant that is grown in many parts of the world. Studies aim to review the scientific evidence from all published studies that examined the protective effects of rosemary in colorectal cancer and other types of cancer. Literature evidence from studies in laboratory subjects and cell cultures demonstrates the anticancer potential of rosemary extract, carnosol, carnosic acid, ursolic acid, and rosmarinic acid.

Something about the rosemary herb

Rosemary (R. officinalis) is a widely used herb that originates from the Mediterranean region. It dates back to the ancient Greeks who named the plant for aiding memory and stimulating the brain.

The plant contains an essential oil that is needed to survive and is known to enhance memory.

Rosemary is known to have one of the highest antioxidant properties of spices and can fight fungi, bacteria, and cancer.

It can be taken in a wide range of ways including:

· Dust

· Tea

· Excerpts

· Oil

Different forms of rosemary can produce different effects. Extracts differ especially based on how rosemary is extracted and what compounds are extracted from.

Rosemary can fight these types of cancers

In human ovarian cancer cells, some active constituents of rosemary stopped the growth of cancer cells and killed existing cancer cells.

There is a wide range of data to support the effectiveness of this wonderful herb against various types of cancer, including:

· Leukemia

· Colon

· Pancreas

· Mother

· Prostate

· Ovaries

· Cervix

· Bladder

· Liver

· Lung

Both rosmarinic acid and rosemary extracts decreased heterocyclic amines (HCAs), which are cancer-causing molecules found in meats such as beef, chicken, pork, and fish.

The rosemary extracts with the highest concentration of carnosic acid were the most effective. In liver cancer cells, carnosic acid decreased cell viability from 83 to 2.5%.

Rosemary and vitamin D in cancer prevention

Carnosic acid and carnosol, compounds derived from the culinary herb rosemary, are antioxidants that help fight cancer, as are the cruciferous plant compounds I3C and DIM. Carnosic acid and carnosol reduce the carcinogenic potential of estrogens by modulating your metabolism in the liver.

In one study, feeding laboratory subjects a diet containing 2% rosemary for three weeks increased beneficial metabolites by approximately 150%, while inhibiting harmful estrogen metabolites by approximately 50%.

Synergistically with vitamin D, rosemary works as an anticancer

Additional research on these compounds has shown that they work synergistically with vitamin D. Scientists are now avidly researching vitamin D as one of the most promising nutrients in the fight against cancer.

Vitamin D works as a hormone that affects the immune system and protects against cancer.

Rather than killing cancer cells directly, vitamin D appears to stop cancer by forcing "out of control" cells to differentiate, that is, to look more like normal cells.

New research shows that the carnosic acid and carnosol in rosemary synergize with vitamin D, helping to kill cancer cells more effectively. The combination of vitamin D and rosemary compounds represents a new addition to traditional approaches to cancer treatment.

Environmental factors that influence skin aging and carcinogenesis fall into the following major categories: sun radiation (ultraviolet radiation, visible light, and infra-red radiation), air pollution, tobacco smoke, nutrition, some less well-studied factors, and cosmetic products. Hydracellum