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Sage, originally from the Mediterranean regions, now grows around the world in more than 2000 species. Israel alone has 24 different species of the plant. It has been cultivated to flavor foods and for its many medicinal properties—among them, use as an astringent, stimulant, nervine agent, diuretic, expectorant, memory booster, anxiety reliever, anti-microbial, and as an antioxidant. It will also ease joint pain, menopausal symptoms, abdominal troubles, sore throat, mouth ulcers, cuts, sprains, swelling, and impaired digestion.
Applications
Teas and Infusions
Tea of equal parts sage and chamomile makes a good mouth rinse for mouth sores, mouth ulcers, and a great gargle for sore throats.
Mixing equal parts of sage tea and apple cider vinegar with 1 teaspoon sea salt is used for gargling.
Soaking a cloth in hot sage tea makes a great compress. Applied to the head, it can relieve headaches. Placed on the abdomen, it can ease cramps, gas, and general intestinal and digestive discomforts. Wrapping a compress around strains and sprains reduces swelling and discomfort. Applied to insect bites, it can reduce itching and swelling. A cold infusion of sage, without lemon and sugar, can be used as a lotion for skin abrasions and ulcers. It has also been used to color hair, like henna, when used over the whole head and scalp. And taken internally, it can keep the hair from graying. An infusion of sage can boost the memory and stimulate or alert the senses. After taking sage tea, there is some warming sensation in the body.
Fresh leaves and or small twigs
Chewing fresh leaves can freshen the breath. Chewing the twig ends will prepare them for use as a primitive toothbrush, and rubbing the gums can strengthen them. Using this toothbrush can prevent cavities naturally without the harmful side effects of fluoride.
Dried leaf powder and oil
A poultice of sage powder applied to joints relieves pain.
One to three drops of sage oil can be used to break up accumulated mucous and as an expectorant to expel it from the respiratory tract.
It can be used as an aromatherapy in lung disorders and sinusitis. Crush the leaves with your fingers and place in boiling water in a wide pan. Inhale the vapors to obtain the benefits for your upper respiratory tract. The strained tea can also be used in vaporizers for inhalation.
Sage oil in excess has the ability to bring on seizures, like that of nutmeg and absinthe essential oils. Intoxication and giddiness follow if it is smelled for too long a time.
Digestive System
Used as a condiment, sage can stimulate the appetite in those with indigestion. It can relieve liver disorders, typhoid fever, excess bile secretions, and bleeding ulcers in the digestive tract that may cause vomiting.
Musculoskeletal Disorders
It can be used to relieve joint pain.
Women’s Health
Sage can be used to stimulate menstrual bleeding when taken as a hot tea.
Cold sage tea can be used to stop night sweats during menopause. It is also greatly useful for treating other symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes, insomnia, dizziness, headaches, and heart palpitations. This suggests that sage may have some estrogenic biochemical.
Cold tea of sage used by a mother while weaning her child can help stop the milk flow. This can be useful when trying to encourage the eating of solid food with babies.
It is better to avoid sage during pregnancy. Don’t take cold tea while nursing as it may interfere with milk production. Used during the post-partum period, it may help with discharging the lochia quickly.
Urinary Disorders
Sage has been used as a diuretic and as treatment for bladder and kidney infections and other disorders such as renal calculi.
Memory Booster
Tests were conducted on 44 people to see if there was a significant difference in their word recall. Of those tested, the ones who had used sage received better scores.
Potential as an aid to Alzheimer’s patients
Those who suffer from Alzheimer’s have a deficiency of neurochemicals. Those neurochemicals can be boosted by using sage preparations. Studies are still being done in this area to see if there may be an approved treatment found in this herb for such mental disturbances and other forms of dementia.
Herbal Teas
Basic Tea
Hot tea [herbal infusion for drinking] is made by bringing water to boil and pouring it over the leaves, letting it steep for a time before consuming. Typical ratio for sage tea is 1 pint of boiling water poured over 1 Oz of dried leaves.
Old Fashioned Recipe
This is a bit different from the basic variety. The fragrance and taste are great and the medicinal value is increased, as it is boiled for a while.
½ oz. Sage leaves, 1 oz. sugar, juice of 1 lemon and ¼ grated lemon rind (or juice of 1 lime and ¼ grated lime rind) added to 1 quart of water and boiled for 30 minutes.
This refreshing drink can be used to lower fever and purify the blood.
Tea for Excessive Sweating
1 ¼ oz. sage leaves
2/3 oz. horsetail herb
1/3 oz. valerian root
Pour 1 cup of boiling water over 1 ½ teaspoons of this mixture, steep covered for 15 minutes. It has been known to reduce nervous perspiration and prevent night sweats.
Sage Tea and Gargle
1 oz. sage leaves
¾ fennel seeds
Pour 1 cup of boiling water over 1 ½ teaspoons of this mixture, steep covered 15 minutes. Gargle it for sore and inflamed throats, colds, and flu. Drink to treat infections of the mouth and throat. The fennel gives the tea a mild, sweet, licorice-like flavor.
Appetite Stimulating Tea
1 oz. sage leaves
1 oz. peppermint leaves
1 oz. lemon balm leaves
1 oz. orange peel
Pour 1 cup of boiling water over 1 ½ teaspoon of this mixture, steep covered 15 minutes. This tea will stimulate the appetite and act as a general strengthener. It is tasty without sweetener.
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