It's all about Sage!
Sage has an extensive history as a medicinal herb. It was used by the ancient Egyptians to improve fertility, and in the first century CE, Dioscorides, a Greek physician, pharmacologist and botanist (now known as the father of pharmacology), reported that the aqueous decoction of sage can help stop the bleeding of wounds and clean sores or ulcers.
He also used sage juice in warm water to treat coughs and hoarseness. Since then, herbalists have used sage for treating different conditions, such as swelling, sprains, rheumatism, ulcers and excessive menstrual bleeding.
The health benefits of sage are attributed to flavonoids, such as apigenin, luteolin and diosmetin, which are known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Sage can also provide your body with rosmarinic acid, a polyphenolic compound with unlimited health potential. According to Herbcyclopedia, sage is:
• Anti-carcinogenic
• Anti-bacterial
• Anti-inflammatory
• Anti-viral
Due to the popularity of “sage, the savior” as a home remedy, it has been extensively studied and shown to offer the following benefits:
• Helps relieve Alzheimer’s disease symptoms: Participants were given either placebo or sage extract for four months in a study of patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease.
Compared to the placebo group, those who were given sage extract showed an improvement in cognition, and they also presented less agitation. Some studies have even shown that sage can help boost memory in young and healthy adults.
• Assists in lowering cholesterol and blood glucose: A research published in
Complementary Therapies in Medicine showed that participants given sage leaf extract had lower fasting glucose, HbA1c, total cholesterol, triglyceride and LDL (bad cholesterol), but higher HDL (good cholesterol) after three months of treatment.
• Alleviates menopausal symptoms: In a 2011 study, researchers Bommer, Klein and Suter reported that taking fresh sage leaf tablets significantly decreased hot flash symptoms in half of the participant after just four weeks.
In eight weeks, 64 percent benefited from the treatment with decreased hot flashes weekly and very severe flashes were eliminated.
Additionally, a 1997 survey conducted by the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (NIMH) in the U.K. indicated that the majority of member practitioners prescribed sage to patients for treating hot flashes and night sweats from menopause.
You can also use sage to help relieve ailments including sore throat, digestive problems, cough and the common cold. Take sage as a tea if you want to use it as a natural treatment for these conditions.
You can choose from fresh or dried leaves, and steep them in boiling water for a couple of minutes. The tea can be used as mouthwash (or you can just chew on fresh leaves), if you want to fight mouth ulcers or promote gum health.
Other Uses of Sage
Aside from its medicinal and healing benefits, sage is also commonly used for “smudging,” a purification ritual of Native American and other indigenous cultures wherein dried herbs are tied into a bundle and lighted.
Burning sage is practiced today in many parts of the world to clear stagnant or negative energy, but it is also believed to enhance healing.