Does this herb hold the secret to a long life?

a bunch of fresh rosemary on a wooden background (iStock)

The ticket to a long life may be growing in your herb garden.

In Acciaroli, a hamlet in Southern Italy, a potent variety of rosemary appears in nearly every dish. Residents regularly live to 100 or older, are less likely to develop heart disease and other age-related diseases, and have exceptional brain function into their second century. Scientists from the University of California at San Diego and Rome’s Sapienza University think rosemary is one reason.

The Post first reported on the research in April, when it was still ongoing, and, in September, the final findings were unveiled at a conference in Italy.

“[Acciaroli residents] eat rosemary almost every day, and they grow it,” UCSD researcher Alan Maisel told the Agence France-Presse. “We know that rosemary improves brain function.”

Cleveland Clinic registered dietitian Kristin Kirkpatrick says the benefits of fresh rosemary are linked to the essential oils it contains. She estimates that consuming 2 tablespoons of any variety of the herb, whether cooked or raw, a few times a week is enough to see health benefits.

Here are five ways to do it.

1. Marinate your meats

Rosemary is “wonderful to tuck into a chicken with a lemon and a little bit of garlic,” says Danielle Rehfeld, an NYC-based chef and the founder of the Inherited Plate. The herb pairs well with the “other white meat,” too. Rehfeld suggests you “finely chop [the rosemary], mix with olive oil and garlic, and place in a hole that extends through the entire length of a big pork loin,” before roasting the whole thing at a low temperature.

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