According to an article published in November 2012 in the journal Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, carnosic acid, present in rosemary extract, may potentially have clinical application in the treatment of diseases affecting the outer retina, including age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa, in which oxidative stress is thought to contribute to disease progression.

The article noted that the herb rosemary has been reported to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. The study reported in the article investigated the antioxidant and neuroprotective activity of carnosic acid in retinal cell lines exposed to oxidative stress and in a rat model of light-induced retinal degeneration (LIRD).

Click here ^[1] to read the abstract.