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One ingredient that people should add to their recipes more often is the herb, rosemary. Aside from its distinct flavor, rosemary contains a lot of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that can contribute to one's overall health.

Here are 3 health benefits of eating more rosemary:

1. Diabetes

Rosemary has been linked to helping people with diabetes. According to a 2014 study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, researchers reported that rosemary contains certain compounds that can prohibit that activity of enzymes linked to insulin production. Due to these compounds, this herb was capable of controlling blood sugar levels in similar ways to prescription medication. Other herbs that have similar effects on people's blood sugar levels are Greek and Mexican Oregano, and marjoram.

2. Allergies

Aside from controlling blood sugar, rosemary can also alleviate symptoms of asthma and allergies. Rosemary contains high levels of rosemarinic acid, which is a chemical that carries strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

3. Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia. Although researchers do not know what causes this disease, they have found different methods of delaying the manifestation of the symptoms. In one of these preliminary trials, researchers found that rosemary improved memory and lowered levels of oxidative stress in mice models. High levels of oxidative stress have been tied to Alzheimer's disease. Even though this study was not conducted on humans, the findings suggest that rosemary has the potential to be beneficial.

For added effects, try growing rosemary on your own. Researchers reported that fresh, greenhouse-grown herbs contain higher levels of antioxidants than rosemary that has been commercially grown. Rosemary is a fairly easy herb to cook with. It pairs well with meats and poultry.