The impact of a rosemary containing drink on event-related potential neural markers of sustained attention.

These pilot data provide critical insights into the utility of rosemary to facilitate different aspects of attention. In particular, data are consistent with rosemary providing additional attentional resources to enhance the processing of stimuli we encounter, irrespective of task relevance. Indeed, the enhancement of both P3a and P3b components following rosemary administration may indicate that the herb enhances the processing of all stimuli in the environment. We argue for the use of both behavioural and EEG methods to explore the therapeutic effects of herbal compounds.