As a healing herb, Sage has been used in religious ceremonies of the Native Americans for centuries. Other cultures, such as the Celts and some indigenous people in the Amazon region have also used Sage throughout the ages.
Even though it is a herb most commonly used in cuisine and is native to the Mediterranean region, Sage has benefits that go beyond its culinary uses and has also been a great part of the daily health routine of many people who drink Sage Tea.
Table of Contents
Types of Sage Herb
Although the official name of sage is salvia officinalis, there are at least six different kinds of sage, which is an aromatic herb of the mint family and an indelible herb in many gardens for its varied textures colours and scent. Here they are listed with their multiple medicinal and culinary uses.
Garden Sage
Garden Sage is the most common sage and a very tough herb that can grow in many conditions, giving off a sprig of purpley-blue flowers. It is used mostly in cooking, fresh or dried and makes a delicious healthy Sage Tea drink.
Purple Sage
Purple Sage is not as strong as Garden Sage but can survive in the outdoors, even in fairly cool climates. This sage is often used in flower arrangements for its colour, but brewing a tea with the seeds and stems is used to treat the common cold as well as stomach aches. In some cultures crushed leaves applied as a poultice are put on the chest to relieve congestion.
Berggarten Sage
Berggarten Sage is very similar to Garden Sage except that it does not produce a flower. It has many great uses in food, for health, for colour and for its aroma and is ideal for making Sage Tea.
Golden Sage
Golden Sage is used in food but is not the most edible type. It is still recommended to stick to Spanish Sage and Garden Sage to flavour food. It is also a beautiful adornment in the garden but is not too strong, so needs protection during cold winters.
Pineapple Sage
Pineapple Sage has a beautiful, tubular, red flower and not only attracts hummingbirds and butterflies to the garden but also has some essential medical benefits. Although, like the other sages it is part of the mint family, Pineapple Sage leaves do give off a bit of a pineapple scent. This Sage also makes an excellent iced tea drink.
Russian Sage
Russian Sage is a kind of fake sage as it mimics garden sage in the look and texture of its leaves. It bears a blue or lavender-coloured flower and actually doesn’t even come from Russia as the name suggests but rather from Afghanistan and nobody has discovered any medical or culinary use for it at this stage.
Health Benefits of Sage Tea
Now that we know what kind of sages there are and that they can enhance the taste of certain foods, let’s find out what health benefits this herb has for us, especially as a Sage Tea drink.
It contains vitamins and minerals such as iron, calcium, vitamin B6 and a fairly high dose of vitamin K. It is also believed to be rich in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds, not to mention that it is hailed as promoting healthy skin tone and is a great wound-healing herb. Furthermore, it promotes oral health and blood sugar control.
Promoting Oral Health with Sage
With its antimicrobial qualities Sage can neutralize the microbes that are formed with dental plaques that make your breath smell.
Alleviating Signs of Depression with Sage
Drinking Sage Tea is a huge benefit to the body in that this herb has the ability to alleviate signs of depression and even protect the brain against old-age illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease, but none of these have been conclusively proven yet. Pineapple Sage is the hero here though for its antidepressant and anti-anxiety properties. Pineapple Sage Tea can be bought in tea bag for at many outlets and online.
Sage Tea side effects
On the other hand, like all good things we have to take in moderation, drinking too much Sage Tea also has some side effects.
Some types of Sage contains a compound called Thujone, which is responsible for its delicious smell but it is believed that taking high doses of it in the form of Sage leaf oil could affect your nervous system and cause vomiting, rapid heart rate and even kidney damage according to the website healthline.com.
Thus, even though Sage Tea contains only 4 to 11mg per litre, it is best not to drink more than three or four cups per day.
Sage Herbs in Arabic Tea
The word Maramia means Sage in Arabic language and they love to drink their Maramia, or Sage Tea, after a meal as it aids digestion and minimises gas and heartburn effects after rich foods. It is natural and contains no caffeine and tea drinkers in the know suggest adding a little honey or even stevia to sweeten it.
Sage Tea Recipe
Here is a great Sage Tea recipe for overall health that you can make at home.
Ingredients
2 Tablespoons of dried Sage leaves, 1 Lemon, 1 stick of stevia or a quarter teaspoon of stevia powder, 1 and a half cups of boiling water
Method:
- Crush the sage leaves a little to release their flavour.
- Add them to your teapot.
- Squeeze out your lemon juice into the teapot, using a strainer to catch pips and bits.
- Add the stevia stick to your teapot or simply pour the quarter teaspoon into the pot.
- Add on and a half cups of boiling water.
Allow it to steep and enjoy.
White Sage Tea
People drink White Sage Tea to help with colds and sinus infection and to alleviate indigestion. It is even used to treat conditions where people sweat excessively, especially for menopausal women who tend to have night sweats and hot flushes.
It contains a compound called Eucalyptol that has antibiotic effects and it is believed that cool White Sage tea applied to wounds and rashes could speed up the healing process. One thing for sure is that it has been proven to heal the condition, athlete’s foot, and prevent it from recurring.
Arabic Cinnamon and Sage Tea
It is not so much an Arabic tea as a Bedouin tea, although the people stem from the same culture. The Bedouin people live in the desert and use a blend of dessert herbs, like wild sage, cinnamon bark, black tea leaves and even cardamom to make their Sage Tea infusion.
They blend this with a mortar and pestle to release the flavours and steep it in hot water with sugar for taste. It smells delicious and is believed to soothe the senses.
Sage Tea for Women’s Health
Interestingly, besides its great culinary uses, Sage Tea is often used to treat nausea in pregnant women in the early stages of pregnancy and is a relief for painful menstrual periods for women as well as easing excessive milk flow during nursing.
Sage Tea Recipe for Menopause
Since it contains high levels of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, Sage Tea has been used as a traditional remedy for menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, mood swings and night time sweats. Here is a basic recipe that could help alleviate many of these symptoms.
In some trials it was proven to reduce menopausal symptoms up to sixty-four percent.
Ingredients:
¼ cup of lemon juice, 10 fresh sage leaves or two table spoons of dried sage, 3 cups of boiling water
Instructions:
- Mix the lemon juice and water and boil.
- Add the sage leaves.
- lower the heat and let it simmer for about two minutes.
- Turn off the heat and allow it to steep for another ten minutes.
- Pour it into your tea cup, using a small sieve to prevent bits from going in.
- Add a teaspoon of sugar is you prefer it sweeter.
- Sip the warm liquid and enjoy your Sage Tea.
Sage Tea for Weight Loss
Since Sage is a diuretic and a stimulant it has been hailed as a ‘miracle herb’ in the weight loss arena. It boosts metabolism and lower cholesterol. Sage Tea is also caffeine-free, and thus included in many diet programmes as a supplement.
Once again, tea drinkers are reminded not to drink more than the daily recommended amount of Sage Tea as too much could have an adverse effect on health.
Sage and Rosemary Tea
With Sage being what they call a ‘nerve tonic’ and Rosemary known for its ability to aid circulation in the body, this combo is certainly a good one to have with Sage being famous for assisting female issues such as menopause and period pains, not to mention that medical trials have proven some slowing down of the progress of Alzheimer’s disease, as well as alleviating several skin ailments when used topically. Rosemary, on the other hand, helps lower blood sugar and may improve mood and memory.
Rosemary, like Sage, is also part of the mint family, lamiaceae, and contains iron, calcium and Vitamin B6. It is said to improve not only your concentration but also digestion. Thus, mixing it with healing Sage would make this a great combination in a health tea.
Sage and Rosemary Tea Recipe
This recipe makes one cup of healthy tea, best consumed in the morning, with or after breakfast.
Ingredients:
one teaspoon of dried Sage (or two or three fresh leaves if you prefer), ½ a teaspoon of dried Rosemary (or a sprig), ½ a teaspoon of Stevia powder or a few sprigs of dried Stevia, alternatively, if you don’t like the taste of Stevia, use a spoon of honey, juice of half a lime, squeezed and strained, ¾ cup of boiling water
Method:
- Place ingredients in your cup.
- Steep in hot water for about ten minutes.
- Drink with your breakfast in the morning.
Sage Tea certainly has multiple uses from healing skin conditions to attracting bugs to your garden and improving blood circulation to name just a few. In ancient times the Greeks and Egyptians used Sage predominantly to relieve colds and sinus infections, and even as a fertility enhancer.
The most interesting use of Sage is that it apparently also cures halitosis (bad breath) problems. So, drinking Sage Tea has an immediate benefit too, as opposed to breath mints, it seems.
You might also like٩(●˙▿˙●)۶…⋆ฺ:
→Everything About Arabic Teas You Should Know About!
→Everything You Need to Know About White Tea
→Everything You Need to Know About Decaf Tea !
→Everything You Need to Know about Chamomile Tea
→Everything You Need to Know about Rooibos Tea
