Sage

SAGE - Salvia Officinalis - Mint Family Common names: garden sage, common sage, true sage HISTORY OF USE Sage is a pungent and distinctly flavored herb from the mint family with a long history of culinary and medicinal use. Throughout history, sage has been used to treat so many maladies that it gained a reputation as a panacea, prompting the late herb expert Varro E. Tyler, Ph.D., to write, “If one consults enough herbals… every sickness known to humanity will be listed as being cured by sage.” The ancient Greeks and Romans first used sage as a meat preservative. They also believed that like another powerful preservative, rosemary, it could enhance memory. Sage gained a much broader medicinal reputation that rosemary did, however. The Roman naturalist Pliny prescribed it for snakebite, epilepsy, intestinal worms, chest ailments, and menstruation promotion. Sixteenth-century British herbalist John Gerard called sage “singularly good for the head and brain. It quickeneth the senses and memory, strengtheneth the sinews, restoreth health to those that have palsy, and taketh away shaky trembling of the members.” In the 17th century, English herbalist Nicholas Culpeper seconded Gerard and recommended sage “boiled in water or wine to wash sore mouths and throats, cankers, or the secret parts of man or woman.” Colonists introduced sage into North America, where it was widely used by folk healers to treat insomnia, epilepsy, measles, seasickness, and intestinal worms. America’s 19th-century eclectic physicians, forerunners of today’s naturopaths, used sage primarily to treat fever. They also prescribed sage poultices for arthritis. As late as the 1920s, U.S. medical texts recommended sage tea as a gargle for sore throat and sage leaf poultices for sprains and swellings. Modern herbalists recommend sage as an external treatment for wounds and insect bites; as a gargle for bleeding gums, sore throat, laryngitis, and tonsillitis; and as an infusion to reduce perspiration, terminate milk production, and relieve dizziness, depression, menstrual irregularity, and intestinal upsets. CULINARY USE Used in cooking meats as it aids in the digestion of fats and is a tonic to the liver. It is traditionally used on turkey on Thanksgiving. MEDICINAL USE Several studies show that sage cuts perspiration by as much as 50 percent, with the maximum effect occurring two hours after ingestion. This effect helps explain how sage developed a reputation for treating fever, which causes profuse sweating, and for drying up mothers’ milk. Nervous system: sage is helpful to promote mental alertness. Digestive system: Sage is useful with any mouth sores (such as after dental work); sore, dry throats with swollen glands. Can be used as a gargle. Also soothes indigestion. Muscular system: Relieves muscular tension. Reproductive system: Assists in weaning as it dries up milk during lactation.  In menopause sage helps balance hormones, relieve hot flashes, and night sweats. External use: In laboratory studies, sage is active against several infection-causing bacteria. This finding lends some credence to the herb’s age-old use in treating wounds. Modern physicians would not recommend bandaging wounds with sage leaves as Dioscorides did, but you can use fresh leaves as garden first aid for minor wounds. HERBAL ACTIONS Antispasmodic, carminative, tonic, aromatic, astringent FLAVOR & ENERGETICS Pungent, warm, aromatic, astringent CONSTITUENTS Volatile oils including thujone, tannins, bitters CAUTIONS As a tea it is not recommended to continue use for more than three weeks. Not recommended during nursing unless the mother wants to wean, as it will dry up milk. TEA BLENDS For sore, dry throats with swollen glands, sage and calendula. As a sore throat gargle, Rosemary Gladstar offers this highly effective recipe: 1 cup raw apple cider vinegar, 1 cup strong (triple strength) sage tea, 2-3 tsp sea salt, pinch of cayenne. For mental alertness: sage and gingko tea; sweeten with licorice. DISCLAIMER This information is not intended to treat, diagnose, cure, heal, mitigate, or remedy disease. It is for educational purposes only and should not be implemented without the express consent of your healthcare practitioner.