Boiling This Herb Could Unlock Some Real Health Benefits

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Now that you've learned the right way to harvest rosemary from your garden, it's time to read up on ways that steeping your rosemary bumper crop in hot water could — potentially! — contribute to better health. Sure, you know that rosemary tastes banging in Italian food, like when it's incorporated into fresh focaccia, and that washing your hair with rosemary water might promote growth and fullness. But there are a host of potential benefits to sipping rosemary tea (technically a tisane, since it's a caffeine-free herbal infusion), which contains antioxidants and both antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory components.

For many years, rosemary has been a folk remedy for seemingly everything from headaches, digestive upset, memory problems, and depression to general pain from chronic conditions. How to separate the facts from the myths can be as prickly an issue as dealing with fresh rosemary itself! Here's something science knows: per Healthline, a solution made by boiling rosemary in water can inhibit the growth of certain bacteria in labs, meaning that, if you are sick with a stomach bug, rosemary tea could help you feel better faster (though remember that research is ongoing). 

Does rosemary have proven effects on brain fog, joint pain, or any of those other ailments? Evidence for that is sparser but still promising. Always talk to your doctor before starting any rosemary supplements, as the herb has several known drug interactions. If you get the go-ahead, you may well enjoy the bracing taste of the tea and the knowledge that it's an all-natural and fairly benign "treatment" that could be doing you some good.

We've covered how to substitute dried herbs for fresh ones, and rosemary is no different. Dried rosemary is the main ingredient in pure rosemary tea bags, after all, and may be more accessible than the fresh stuff if you don't have a plant at home. For fresh rosemary, you can simply boil a sprig in water for however long you'd like — longer steeping will increase the potency of the brew — and then strain out the solids. 

If you have dried rosemary on hand, you may want to use a tea ball or concoct a makeshift tea bag from clean cloth. In a pinch, you can infuse the dried leaves directly in the water and strain them out. Your tea will be quite astringent, especially if you erred on the side of a longer brew, so you may want to add honey or another sweetener to taste. There may be a difference between afternoon tea and high tea, but rosemary tea is a refreshing, delicious drink 'round the clock, as it contains no caffeine.

Note that you can overdo it — consuming too much rosemary or taking it for too long may lead to stomach upset, sensitivity to the sun, or skin irritation. Everyone's different, so you shouldn't rely on others' experiences. Again, please consult your doctor regarding the strength and frequency of your rosemary tea if you choose to try out this fascinating potential health booster!