This perennial plant is medicinal and believed to be a spiritual cleanser. It is also useful for culinary purposes. Sage has antifungal, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial components that are medically used to soothe muscle aches, aromatherapy, and rheumatism. Studies show that the Native American tribes used sage for healing and some spiritual purposes. We`ll discuss some types of sage that exist.
Types of Sage
Golden Sage
This variety is light green and has golden edges. It is edible and it`s a useful herb too; one that smells really nice. It is also a culinary herb that provides flavor to meats, turkey, eggs, gravies, and soups.
Pineapple Sage
This variety is used for ornamental purposes. Pineapple sage has got red flowers. It smells like pineapples, hence the name. It`s edible too, usually used to garnish salads and add some flavor to teas, whether dried or fresh. History even has it that the Mexicans used pineapple sage as a traditional medicine to treat anxiety and lower blood pressure. Pineapple sage has got anti-anxiety and anti-depressant properties too. Some people even use pineapple sage to cook and bake. What else? It has a pineapple and mint flavor that makes it suitable to be used in beverages. Pineapple sage, unlike some other varieties, is not readily available in the market: it is usually grown and used for individual and personal use.
Russian Sage
Closely related to garden sage, Russian sage is quite colorful with its silvery violet glowers. It is a perennial plant with edible flowers. Russian sage is used for medicinal purposes because it is analgesic and antiparasitic. Russian sage is used to add flavor to vodka. What`s more? Its flower is also crushed and applied in cosmetics. Asides cosmetics, it is crushed and used as a dye too. We will discuss seven varieties of Russian sage.
Seven Varieties of Russian Sage
- Blue Spire which has larger panicles and is deep purple in color.
- Filigran which has a well-dissected foliage than Russian sage, making it look lacy. It has bright blue flowers.
- Little Spire which is about 2 feet tall and is more compact than the Russian sage.
- Longin’s stems which are are stiff.
- Purple Sage belongs to the mint family, just like golden sage and the other types of sage. Purple sage produces camphor and pinene which are highly beneficial to the digestive system of the human body. Studies show that this herb has the ability to ease the symptoms of menopause, it can, however, be used as an anti-inflammatory remedy for insect bites.
- Berggarten Sage can also be called mountain garden as it is a type of common garden sage. It has fewer flowers, providing you with more leaves to harvest. Berggarten sage can be used either fresh or dried and can be used for culinary and medicinal purposes. Berggarten sage can also help mother’s dry their breast milk.
- Rubbed Sage’s leaves which are greyish in color while its flowers are purple. Rubbed sage is actually rubbed between two hard surfaces before it can be separated from its stem. It could also be rubbed between the hands. It becomes fluffy after rubbing and smells really good too. Rubbed sage can be used for culinary purposes alongside rosemary, thyme, curry, and parsley. Rubbed sage can be dried and used to cook, it has a lot of nutritional values and a nice flavor and smell.
- Garden Sage is the most common type of sage; it is used for a number of things, ranging from medicinal purpose to culinary purpose and even ornamental purpose. Garden sage is preferably used fresh, although, it can be preserved by drying. One can use fresh sage with cheese or use it to garnish chicken. It could also be rubbed on pork chops right before grilling.
How Beneficial is Sage?
Boosts Cognitive Function
The ability to execute daily tasks and acquire knowledge is as a result of a fully functional cognition. Sage contains antioxidant properties that stimulate neural regeneration. Studies show that sage can improve the recovery of memory in patients with a brain disorder, especially patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
Eases Menopause Symptoms
Ask a woman approaching menopause, she`ll tell you how uncomfortable it can be. With it comes mood swings, vaginal dryness, night sweat, insomnia, and hot flashes. There is a gland in the brain called hypothalamus. Hypothalamus regulates the body temperature, the temperature is most likely involved when a woman is passing through menopause. Sage can help re-regulate the body temperature.
Manages Blood Sugar Level
It is quite important to regulate and manage one’s blood sugar level because having a high blood sugar level could be detrimental to one’s wellbeing. Diabetes is a disease caused by high sugar level, and sadly, it cannot be cured, it can be only be managed. Sage can help to control one’s sugar level. It is advisable to seek medical advice to determine whether or not the foods ingested are suitable for one’s health, hugely depending on an individual’s medical history.
Aids Weight Loss
Sage tea has got properties that help the body burn more calories. It also increases the rate at which the body metabolizes fat. What else? It prevents the conversion and storage of fat in the body.
Improves Oral Health
Sage contains natural herbal properties that can clean the mouth and freshen one’s breath if chewed. Studies suggest that some toothpaste and mouthwash manufacturers have sage as part of their ingredients. Sage not only freshens one’s breath, but it also contains antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that can improve oral health.
Strengthens the Immune System
Sage contains anti-microbial properties that can fight germs and diseases. It has the ability to strengthen the immune system. Sage can also be crushed and added to body creams; this could fight germs as the skin can be comprised of foreign agents.
Improves Hair Growth
Sage has for a while been used to fight hair loss and baldness. It improves hair health and enhances circulations to the scalp, hereby, providing the adequate nutrition the hair follicles need to grow.
Improves Bone Health
Sage is rich in vitamin K. This is an essential vitamin that the body needs and is rarely found in many foods. Vitamin K helps to strengthen the density of the human bone. The bone health is more likely to deteriorate as we grow older, so including sage in your diet could increase your vitamin K level.
Anti-aging Properties
Sage contains antioxidants that eradicate the signs of aging such as wrinkles and sagging skin. They protect the skin from free radicals that damage the skin cells. Sage helps the cells in the body regenerate, hereby, reducing and slowing down the aging process.
Final Words…
The health benefits of sage look too good to be true, right? But they are indeed true. Sage could be used in so many ways, it could be burnt, ingested, absorbed into the skin and even used for medicinal purposes. It is used in a way that benefits and improves the state of health of a person. Pregnant women are advised to avoid sage for medicinal purposes; they may use it for culinary purposes only. It is also advisable not to use sage in large quantities for a long period of time. Sage should be used in moderation as the saying, too much of everything is bad, still applies.
