Sage
I know I’ve written a little on sage and it’s cleansing abilities when we burn it, and I’ll re-cap on that too today, however I did want to talk a little more on this great herb! Oh, the fragrance too! Warm & rich, the aroma always reminds me of my mum’s Sunday roast of lamb, it was always stuffed with sage & other herbs too!
Thousands of years before our customary Sunday roasts, people all over the world were celebrating the healing powers of sage, the genus name is Salvia which comes from the Latin word meaning ‘all healing’, and down throughout history, sage has been used to treat many maladies that it gained a reputation of being a panacea! The ancient Greeks & Romans used sage as a meat preservative, they also believed that it promoted our memory much like rosemary does. The second species name of officinalis refers to its official use as a medicinal herb, with legends, folklore & claims a many, with some verified in scientific research, & whilst researching myself, I’ve realized that however long our life will be, the healthier it will be if sage is used regularly!
An early herbalist, tells the legend of the virgin Mary, Joseph & baby Jesus, whilst fleeing from King Herod, the flowers in the field were asked to hide & shelter them, but only sage offered to protect & conceal them. When the King’s soldiers had passed without noticing them & the danger was gone, the virgin Mary told the sage plants “from now to eternity, I give you the power to cure man of all illnesses and to save him from death, as you have done for us”. As the medicinal benefits grew, naturalists such as Pliny prescribed it for snake bite, epilepsy, intestinal worms, chest ailments & menstrual promotion. With the Greek physician Dioscorides considered sage as a diuretic & menstruation promoter, along with recommending this herb as a bandage for wounds! The French called the herb ‘toute bonne’, meaning “all’s well” and had their own adage of “Sage helps the nerves, and by its powerful might, Palsy is cured & fever put to flight”.
Around the year 1000, an Icelandic herbalist recommended sage for bladder infections & for kidney stones, whilst the 12th century German herbalist Hildegard prescribed sage for headache & gastro problems, along with respiratory ailments. Dutch explorers in the 16th century introduced the Chinese to this herb, it was so highly regarded that they traded 3 pounds of their own tea for each pound of the new European healing herb. The Chinese used the herb to treat insomnia, depression, gastro distress, mental illness, menstrual complaints & nipple inflammation (mastitis) of nursing mums.
Impacting on the health of all centuries, modern herbalists of today recommend sage as an external treatment for wounds & insect bites, as a gargle for bleeding gums, for sore throats (including laryngitis & tonsillitis), as an infusion to reduce perspiration, to cease milk production in nursing mums & to relieve light-headedness, for depression, menstrual irregularity & intestinal upsets too!
Going back to the 1st century AD, and the famous Greek herbalist – Dioscorides wrote that sage cured most kidney diseases, and whilst curing them he said that he turned faded grey hair back to black, implying that sage could restore hair to its natural colour! I need some of that for my hair!! And luckily I have potions for using sage to restore hair growth & colour but to also clear dandruff! So, for a hair tonic, place in a saucepan 1 heaped tablespoon of dried sage (or 4 tablespoons of fresh), along with the same amount of Camelia, add 1 ½ cups of water, and simmer slowly for around ½ an hour, strain & cool. Rub into your scalp daily, this will keep for about a week in the fridge making it perfect for my hot climate!
Another herbalist, Maria Treben wrote “sage tea drunk regularly, strengthens the body, prevents strokes, is good for paralysis & will help to relieve trembling limbs, night sweats (especially for us peri-menopausal gal’s) & cramps. And whilst mentioning night sweats, & hot flushes, try chopping 4 sage leaves into a cup of boiling water, steep for 5 minutes or so, and sip 2 cups per day, you can drink it cool too, it really has helped me as I progress into menopause! Just remember not to boil the herb as the essential oils within will evaporate, the essential oil in sage has powerful healing properties, however it is also toxic in high amounts due to the Thujone chemical it contains, thujone causes a variety of nasty symptoms and can result in convulsions, the heat used in infusions (like above) eliminates most of this chemical, but concentrated sage oil is toxic & should not be ingested at all! Sage is generally regarded as safe for adults who are NOT pregnant or nursing, but you should only take medicinal amounts under consultation with your health expert (or me, as your Naturopath!). It can also cause mild discomforts such as lip & mouth swelling, so please stop use if anything adverse happens to you, and please let your health expert know!!
But, going back to the beginning, one of my favourite ways of using sage is still burning it, did you know that it also can be used to fumigate a room by burning the leaves when someone in the household (or workplace) is sick with something contagious?? And I know your thinking, where am I going to find sage sticks, from me of course! You can get them here at: https://holistichealthandhealingaustralia.com.au/product/luvin-life-smudge-stick-white-sage-large-25cm/
For people who struggle to wind down at the end of the day, the fragrance of a fresh stem of sage kept near the nose can help to induce sleep!
In our foods though, sage is capable of counteracting the richness of some foods, as it aids the digestion by stimulating the production of digestive juices, and a yummy traditional way of using sage is to dip the leaves in flour, then a light batter from egg, milk & flour and gently fry until golden on both sides! It is also a great alternative to salt!
Whilst there is over 750 species of sage, they are all rich in vitamins A, B1, B2, B3 & C, and contain minerals such as calcium, chromium, cobalt, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium, silicon & zinc!
We will never think of sage in the same way again!
Happy Herb’n
x Sharon
All references are available upon request.
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