Sales of rosemary have boomed after research found the herb could help young people studying for exams, figures suggest.

Holland and Barrett said it has ordered extra stocks of rosemary essential oil after it saw sales almost double compared with the same point last year.

The results of a small-scale trial published by Northumbria University earlier this month showed that exposure to the smell of rosemary can help to boost children's memory.

New figures from Holland & Barrett, first reported by BBC News online, show sales of rosemary oil in the week the study was released were up 187% when compared with the same week last year and up 270% compared with the week before the research was published. This is across the UK, Ireland and online.

The hikes come as teenagers across the country prepare to sit exams including Scottish Highers.

A spokeswoman for the health retailer said: "Following the Northumbria University research pointing to a positive link between rosemary and memory in students, we saw a sharp rise in customer demand for our 100% pure Miaroma Rosemary Essential Oil, with sales increasing by almost 300 per cent on the previous week.

"As exam season continues, we have increased provision in store to meet demand and our trained associates are on-hand as always to answer any questions customers may have about the benefits of aromatherapy and essential oils."

The Northumbria study saw 40 children aged 10 and 11 given different mental tasks in one of two rooms, one that had rosemary oil diffused in it for 10 minutes and one that had no aroma.

Researchers found that children in the scented room gained higher scores than those in the non-scented room. The biggest difference in scores was in the test that asked youngsters to recall words.

Study author Mark Moss said at the time the research was published that the reasons why rosemary has an effect is open to debate.

"It could be that aromas affect electrical activity in the brain or that pharmacologically active compounds can be absorbed when adults are exposed," he said.

"We do know that poor working memory is related to poor academic performance and these findings offer a possible cost-effective and simple intervention to improve academic performance in children."