Rosemary may have a beneficial effect for patients with Age-related macular degeneration and Retinitis Pigmentosa

Scientists at the Del E Web Center for Neuroscience, Aging, and Stem Cell Research, Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, La Jolla, California, have found that carnosic acid (CA), present in rosemary extract, may potentially have clinical application to diseases affecting the outer retina, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and retinitis pigmentosa (RP).

The herb rosemary has been reported to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, along with its positive effect on memory (and hence of interest in dementia). Oxidative stress has been shown to be a factor in the progression of a number of retinal diseases, including those affecting photoreceptors and RPE cells, such as RP and AMD. Progression of AMD and RP may occur at least in part because of light exposure, although other factors are clearly also critically important. The fact that excessive light increases the susceptibility of RPE and photoreceptor cells to oxidative stress suggests involvement of this process as one pathway to cell injury in the outer retina. The RPE cell layer plays a crucial role in the maintenance and survival of adjacent photoreceptors via phagocytosis of the photoreceptor outer segments. These cells also provide trophic support to the neural retina by supplying neurotrophic factors. Thus, rescue of both photoreceptor and RPE cells will be critical for preventing the onset and progression of AMD.

In this study, published in the prestigious journal Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science, the authors evaluated whether CA could protect photoreceptors and RPE cells against cell death induced by oxidation resulting from excessive photo stimulation. 

It was found that CA activated phase 2 antioxidant genes and protected cells of the outer retina both in vitro and in vivo, which suggest that CA is a prospective therapeutic compound for reducing  retinal degeneration in disorders such as AMD and RP, in which oxidative stress plays an important role in disease progression.

Ed. note: We have always enjoyed the addition of herbs such as Rosemary in our food. With this study, we find it not only helps in cases of dementia, but also in diseases such as AMD and RP. And with no side-effects. We recommend that everyone should try to eat healthy, and incorporate such food items in the diet. 

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