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Q. You have written about the benefits of consuming rosemary water to keep the brain functioning well. This sounds delicious. I would love to preserve my cognitive performance, so I'd welcome any details.
A. The original study we cited included 80 healthy people assigned to either rosemary water or plain mineral water (Journal of Psychopharmacology, December 2018). Those drinking rosemary water performed better on computerized cognitive tasks.
Since then, other animal and clinical trials support the brain-protecting effects of rosemary (Current Drug Targets, 2024). One study conducted in mice found that rosmarinic acid (a component of rosemary) could prevent the negative impact of a Western-style diet (Clinical Nutrition, October 2024). Another study in cell cultures and rats found that a combined extract of peppermint and Japanese cornel dogwood can protect neurons and enhance memory and learning (International Journal of Molecular Sciences, March 9, 2026).
We have more information about rosemary, peppermint, lemon balm and other herbs that can enhance memory in our book, "Spice Up Your Health: How Everyday Kitchen Herbs & Spices Can Lengthen & Strengthen Your Life." You will find it in the books section under the store tab at www.PeoplesPharmacy.com.
Q. I used to be a semi-vegetarian. When I added meat to my diet, my very persistent perleche went away. I assume that I was missing B vitamins in my diet.
A. Perleche, also called angular cheilitis, causes red, irritated cracks at the corners of the mouth. When people are low in some B vitamins, especially B12, they may develop this painful condition. Vegetarians are often low in vitamin B12. That may explain why your perleche disappeared when you changed your diet.
Q. After I had cataract surgery a few weeks ago, my ophthalmologist recommended that I take the PreserVision AREDS 2 supplement to slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration. I understand there is a valid clinical study that reports a slowing of degenerative changes by 27%. These pills have vitamins and antioxidants.
I'm already taking a daily multivitamin, so I'm concerned that I would be overdosing on some vitamins. Then I saw that there are products called AREDS 2 + Multivitamins.
I looked at the selection of vitamins and minerals in the AREDS 2 + Multi and compared it to my multivitamins. To me, they looked pretty close. Can you tell me if there are any significant differences in the formulations?
A. The original study of the AREDS formulation concluded that this combination of antioxidants plus zinc could significantly lower the risk that macular degeneration would progress (Archives of Ophthalmology, October 2001). For the AREDS 2 trial, the investigators replaced beta-carotene with other carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin.
Although there are several other minor differences in these multivitamin formulations, there is only one that worries us. AREDS 2 + Multivitamins contain the same high level of zinc (80 milligrams) that the original formulation did. Excess zinc can interfere with copper metabolism. That might weaken muscles and lead to other unpleasant consequences (Clinical Neuropharmacology, July 31, 2026).
PreserVision AREDS3 has been reformulated. It contains 25 milligrams of zinc per day, which is a safer amount. Do not take both multivitamin products as that could be excessive.