Ingredient of the week: Rosemary leaves

We all know rosemary leaves for its pungent smell, how amazing they make our tea taste not to mention a key ingredient in most meat dishes.

Like any other ingredient, rosemary has a long history originating from South America and the Mediterranean before making its way to all the other parts of the world.

Scientifically, rosemary is part of the Lamiaceae family of plants with other plants like oregano, basil,sage, thyme and mint.

As mentioned earlier, rosemary can be used to: flavor tea to make it more aromatic, spice up and season various dishes and in some cases used as an essential oil.

While most people like to use their rosemary leaves freshly picked and whole, it can also be dried and crushed, which makes it much easier to store and use for longer.

If you are wondering some of the health benefits of rosemary leaves, here are but a few:

It is said rosemary contains a sufficient amount of antioxidants, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory compounds that protect your body from damage that may lead to diseases like cancer and heart disease. It is also said rosemary tea can help lower and manage blood sugar levels in the body. Meaning people with diabetes can incorporate rosemary in their everyday diets. Are you always in a foul mood? Well consuming some rosemary whether in tea or dishes could help lighten things up. Consuming rosemary will help reduce your anxiety levels and improve your quality of sleep as well.

Rosemary leaves has a lot of uses and many benefits, these are just a few but if you want to try this for yourself, rosemary is readily available in all stores and markets at affordable prices.