ACTION

Antiseptic, Astringent, Aromatic, Tonic, Estrogenic, Carminative, Reduces sweating.

Sage has a fair amount of antioxidants (Lamaison, J.L. et al. 1991). These compounds help mop up free radicals. In menopause, there is a lack of estrogen production by the ovaries. Sage contains estrogenic substances that help relieve discomforts such as hot flashes.

CAUTION: Sage contains thujone, which in high doses is toxic. This is more of a problem with oil and alcohol extracts but not the tea (infusion).

KEY CONSTITUENTS

Flavonoids, Tannins, Volatile oils(thujone), Phenolic acids.

INDICATION

In Alzheimer's disease, there is degeneration of cholinergic neurons in Meynert's and other brain stem nuclei. Salvia officinalis and Melissa officinalis have been found to have cholinergic activities(Perry, E.K. et al. 1998, 1999).

RESEARCH

Phenolic glycosides in sage were found to have antioxidant property (Wang, M. et al. 1999).

Extracts of the leaves of Salvia officinalis and Medicago sativa were used to treat hot flushes in 30 menopausal women. The symptoms completely disappeared in 20 women, four women showed good improvement and the other six showed a reduction in symptoms (De Leo, V. et al., 1998)..

REFERENCES

De Leo, V., Lanzetta, D., Cazzavacca, R., and Morgante, G. (1998). Treatment of neurovegetative menopausal symptoms with a phytotherapeutic agent. Minerva. Ginecol. May;50(5):207-11.

Lamaison, J.L., Petitjean-Freytet, C. and Carnat, A. (1991). Medicinal Lamiaceae with antioxidant properties, a potential source of rosmarinic acid. Pharm. Acta. Helv. 66(7):185-8.

Perry, E.K., Pickering, A.T., Wang, W.W., Houghton, P.J. and Perry, N.S. (1998). Medicinal plants and Alzheimer's disease: Integrating ethnobotanical and contemporary scientific evidence. J. Altern. Complement. Med. 4(4):419-28.

Perry, E.K., Pickering, A.T., Wang, W.W., Houghton, P.J. and Perry, N.S. (1999).Medicinal plants and Alzheimer's disease: from ethnobotany to phytotherapy. J. Pharm. Pharmacol. 51(5):527-34.

Wang, M., Shao, Y., Li, J., Zhu, N., Rangarajan, M., LaVoie, E.J. and Ho, C.T. (1999). Antioxidative phenolic glycosides from sage (Salvia officinalis). J. Nat. Prod. 62(3):454-6.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.