The herb rosemary has long been linked with memory: 'There's rosemary, that's for remembrance,' says Ophelia in Shakespeare's Hamlet. So it is fitting that researchers would study a compound found in rosemary and sage -- carnosic acid -- for its impact on Alzheimer's disease. In the disease, which is the leading cause of dementia and the sixth leading cause of death in the US, inflammation is one component that often leads to cognitive decline. Carnosic acid is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound that works by activating enzymes that make up the body's natural defense system. While pure carnosic acid is too unstable to be used as a drug, scientists have now synthesized a stable form, diAcCA. This compound is fully converted to carnosic acid in the gut before being absorbed into the bloodstream.
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