Rosmarinus officinalis Leaf Extract

Common Name

Rosemary | Garden Rosemary

Top Benefits of Rosemary Extract

Supports healthy aging*

Supports exercise performance*

Supports muscle structure and function*

Supports healthy metabolic pathways*

Supports healthy weight*

Supports mitochondrial biogenesis, structure and function*

Supports antioxidant defenses*

Supports healthy cellular responses*

Supports brain function*

Supports cardiovascular function*

Supports liver function*

Supports healthy gut microbiota*  

What is Rosemary Extract?

Rosemary is a member of the mint family. Its common name derives from Latin and translates as “dew of the sea.” Rosemary was used as a spice and folk medicine by Egyptians, Greeks, and Latins cultures, thriving close to the coast, especially in dryer areas throughout the Mediterranean. Rosmarinus officinalis contains a range of health-supporting polyphenols, including diterpenes (e.g., carnosol, carnosic acid, rosmarinic acid) and a triterpene called ursolic acid (sometimes referred to as urson, prunol, malol, or 3-beta-3-hydroxy-urs-12-ene-28-oic-acid). Triterpenes are produced by plants as part of their self-defense mechanism, so tend to concentrate in areas that come in direct contact with the external environment. This is the case with ursolic acid: It was originally identified in the epicuticular waxes of apple peels as early as 1920’s. While all apple peels contain some ursolic acid, the amount varies about 4-fold depending on the variety. Fuji and Smith apple varieties are the best source, with the peel of medium-sized apples containing about 50 mg^[1]. Ursolic acid is also found in the peels of other fruits, and in kitchen spice herbs like basil, rosemary, and thyme. Ursolic acid supports a variety of functional areas, many of which overlap with the response to exercise (e.g., support antioxidant defenses, enhance insulin sensitivity, stimulate mitochondrial biogenesis, upregulate sirtuins, activate AMPK). One of its more unique functional support areas is as a resistance training mimetic, supporting the development of new muscle fibers and muscle rejuvenation.*

Qualia Rosemary Extract Sourcing

Rosemary Extract was selected because it’s standardized to contain 50% ursolic acid.

We opted for a rosemary extract for two reasons. Ursolic acid from rosemary extract is what’s been used in human clinical studies. Second, rosemary is complementary to ursolic acid, supporting antioxidant defenses, cellular detoxification and protective functions.

Studies of this extract suggest it supports muscle growth, rejuvenation, and performance.*

Rosemary Extract Dosing Principles and Rationale

Many polyphenol compounds produce either a threshold response or follow hormetic dosing principles (see Neurohacker Dosing Principles). Because one of the main active compounds in rosemary extract is polyphenol ursolic acid, we expect the extract to have a hormetic range (i.e., a dosing range above which results could be poorer). Extrapolating from animal and human experiments, we expect this range to be from about 100 to 450 mg. We have selected to dose towards the lower end of the range because we anticipate it having additive or complementary effects with other polyphenol ingredients.*

Rosemary Extract Key Mechanisms

Supports mitochondrial biogenesis*

Supports peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1 alpha (PGC-1α) [2]

Supports PGC-1β [3,4]

Supports cAMP-PKA-CREB signaling pathway [5]

Supports nuclear transcription factors of mitochondrial biogenesis (mitochondrial transcription factor A [TFAM]) [2]

Supports mitochondrial structure and function*

Supports mitochondrial mass [2]

Promotes ATP production [2]

Supports signaling pathways: AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) [2,6–9]

Supports complex IV (cytochrome C oxidase) performance [2]

Supports mitochondrial β-oxidation – upregulates peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) [10]

Promotes exercise performance*

Supports endurance performance [2,11,12]

Supports muscle strength [2,11–13]

Supports muscle structure and function*

Supports muscle mass and the size of skeletal muscle fibers [8,11,12]

Promotes the generation of new muscle fibers [14,15]

Supports post-exercise recovery and skeletal muscle damage prevention [16]

Supports muscle cell glucose uptake via AMPK activation [7–9]

Supports insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) signaling in skeletal muscle [8,11]

Influences lactic acid production [12]

Supports healthy metabolic function*

Supports healthy insulin sensitivity [10,17–23]

Supports glucose regulatory enzymes [24]

Supports citric acid cycle function via upregulation of citrate synthase [2]

Supports insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in the blood [13]

Supports healthy body weight* 

Supports healthy body weight [6,11,18]

Promotes lean mass [11,12]

Promotes energy expenditure [6]

Supports healthy fat accumulation and blood/liver lipid levels [6,8,10,11,13,17,19]

Promotes free fatty acid uptake and β-oxidation and influences intracellular fat storage in skeletal muscle cells  [6]

Supports adiponectin concentrations [10]

Promotes brown adipose tissue production [11]

Supports antioxidant defenses*

Supports antioxidant enzymes [25–30]

Counters reactive oxygen species (ROS) production [2,26]

Replenishes glutathione (GSH) levels [17,26]

Supports cellular signaling* 

Supports peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) in the spinal cord; influences peripheral cytokine signaling [31]

Supports healthy immune signaling [17,28]

Supports brain function*

Supports longevity biomarkers in the hypothalamus [4]

Counters ROS and oxidative stress in the brain  [26]

Supports spatial learning and memory (in rats) [25,29]

Supports neuronal structure [29]

Counters oxidative stress in the hippocampus [29]

Influences cytokine signaling in the hippocampus [29]

Supports healthy cardiovascular function*

Supports healthy cholesterol levels [10,28]

Supports vascular health [32,33]

Supports healthy liver function*

Promotes hepatic autophagy [10]

Supports xenobiotic detoxification enzymes: NAD(P)H-quinone reductase and glutathione-S-transferase [34,35]

Supports hepatic health [3]

Supports a healthy gut microbiota*

Supports a healthy gut microbiota composition [36]

Supports healthy gut microbial metabolism [36]

Promotes healthy aging and longevity*

Supports SIRT1 and SIRT6 [3,4,33,37,38]

Supports "mild" mitochondrial uncoupling: upregulates mitochondrial uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) and UCP3 [2,6,11]

Supports the expression of Klotho [3,4]

Counters advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) formation [17,39,40]

Influences poly [ADP-ribose] polymerase 1 (PARP1, also known as NAD+ ADP-ribosyltransferase 1 or poly[ADP-ribose] synthase 1) activity [41]

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, cure, or prevent any disease.

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