If you’re looking for the best Sage supplements to buy this year, then you’ve come to the right place. You can also get more info by jumping to our Sage Supplements Guide.
Top 10 Sage Supplements
| #1 |  |
Solaray Organically Grown Sage | More Info |
| #2 |  |
Piping Rock Health Products Sage | More Info |
| #3 |  |
PureControl Supplements Sage Leaf | More Info |
| #4 |  |
Nature’s Health Red Sage | More Info |
| #5 |  |
HawaiiPharm Red Sage Liquid Extract | More Info |
| #6 |  |
Nature’s Answer Sage Leaf | More Info |
| #7 |  |
Herb Pharm Certified Organic Sage Extract | More Info |
| #8 |  |
Starwest Botanicals Sage Leaf Cut/Sifted | More Info |
| #9 |  |
Frontier Bulk Sage Leaf Powder | More Info |
| #10 |  |
NOW Foods Sage Oil | More Info |
Sage Supplements Guide
Sage is a medicinal and cooking herb that’s commonly grown in gardens around the world. It grows in a variety of climates and is easy to cultivate. There are hundreds of species of sage, but Salvia officinalis (or common sage) is the most popularly used.
Common sage is used for all sorts of medicinal purposes, including as an antibacterial or astringent as well as for alleviating menopause and Alzheimer’s. Read on to discover more of the benefits of sage, side effects, and things to look for when buying a sage supplement.
What is Sage?
Salvia officinalis is the most common form of sage grown in gardens; thus, it’s referred to as “common sage” or simply as sage. Salvia is derived from the Latin word for “to heal.” Other varieties of sage include red sage (Salvia miltiorrhiza), Spanish sage (Salvia lavandulaefolia), and white sage (Salvia apiana). There are over 500 different varieties of sage currently grown.
Different species of this herb are used for different purposes, from aromatherapy to seasoning to internal medicine to skin care. Some varieties of sage are also used for spiritual ceremonies. Most varieties of sage are medicinally useful, though only a handful of them are used in cooking. Sage has been domesticated and used for hundreds of years.
Common sage is easily grown in gardens across the world. It’s a subshrub and a perennial plant that can be harvested throughout the growing season and continues to be viable for several years. This herb is in the mint family; the leaves are a dusky green.
Sage grows well in a variety of climates, but prefers plenty of sun and well-drained soil. The leaves and stems of sage are both used for food and medicine. Sage has been domesticated everywhere from Europe to China. It’s often made into extracts, teas, rinses, incense, oils, butters and essential oils. Sage is also sometimes added to skin or personal care products.
Sage has now been studied by scientists investigating its beneficial effects on conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. However, it’s been used medicinally for such a long time that it has a wide reputation for elongating the lifespan and promoting overall health. This herb is so popular that it may sometimes be underestimated or taken for granted, but in reality it’s like the hidden rockstar of your garden.
Benefits of Sage
Mental alertness, memory and clarity: Two species of sage, Salvia officinalis and Salvia lavandulaefolia, have been shown to improve memory and information processing in those with mild or moderate Alzheimer’s disease. In this case, it should be taken as an oral extract. These types of sage also improve memory, attention and focus in healthy adults.
Oral herpes or cold sores: Applying a cream containing sage along with rhubarb to cold sores can heal cold sores in about 7 days.
Menopause, menstrual symptoms, and other women’s issues: Taking sage regularly can improve various symptoms of menopause, including hot flashes. It helps to induce menstruation, but also reduces heavy menstrual bleeding. It also dries up the breast milk, which can be useful for women who are ready to wean their babies.
Digestion: Taking sage as a tea or using it as a seasoning on foods helps to aid digestion. It improves appetite and reduces stomach pain as well as gas, bloating and indigestion.
Anti-bacterial and astringent properties: Sage is a natural antibacterial and astingent. Thus, it’s useful for both external and internal healing. It can help fend off illnesses like colds and fevers, and it can also be gargled to heal sore throats, gingivitis and sore gums. Topically, sage can be used to heal the skin. It’s a natural disinfectant and deodorizer. It can be used to heal cold sores as well as sunburn or skin redness.
Lowering cholesterol: When taken at high enough doses, common sage can reduce bad cholesterol and improve good cholesterol.
Aromatherapy and cleansing: The essential oil of sage can be used for aromatherapy by diffusing it into the air. This helps improve alertness. White sage is also traditionally burned as a smudge stick, similarly to incense, in order to cleanse a particular space or person.
Hair and beauty: Sage is also traditionally used for darkening gray hairs by rinsing an infusion over the hair. It invigorates the scalp and improves the quality of the hair.
Are There Any Side Effects?
In general, sage can be unsafe when taken in high doses or for an extended period of time. This is true for many medicinal plants, which are designed to be taken temporarily or with breaks in between doses.
Sage should not be taken medicinally if pregnant or breastfeeding, unless under the supervision of a health practitioner. This means that it should not be taken in doses above the amount used for seasoning food.
Salvia officinalis in particular contains thujone, which can cause seizures as well as damage to the nervous system and liver when taken in large doses. Thus, sage should not be taken by those with seizure disorders.
Thujone is also reason that you should avoid taking sage when pregnant or breastfeeding. Thujone can induce a menstrual period, and can therefore cause a miscarriage. It can also reduce the milk supply.
Spanish sage in particular can have similar effects as estrogen, and should therefore not be used by those with hormone-sensitive conditions such as fibroids or breast cancer.
How to Take Sage
There are several ways to consume sage. Simply using it as a food seasoning will confer many of its overall health benefits. To season food with sage, you can add dried or fresh sage leaves to cooking alongside other complementary herbs and spices. You can also make sage-infused oil, vinegar, butter, or even sugar. You can also make sage bitters for use in cocktails.
You can drink sage as a tea using fresh or dried sage leaves. It’s often combined with lemon for treating colds and fevers. You can drink water infused with sage leaves for similar benefits.
Other ways to take sage include tinctures or extracts, which are made by extracting plant material into alcohol or another solvent such as glycerine, or supplements such as capsules which contain dried plant material in a standardized dose.
For treating the throat, teeth, gums, or hair, you can dilute a liquid extract into water to make a rinse.
Sage is also often made into an essential oil. Note that this essential oil is meant to be diluted and used topically, or used for aromatherapy. It’s not for internal use, as it contains an extremely high concentration of sage that may harm the stomach. Sage can also be made into incense for aromatherapeutic purposes.
When treating particular conditions, refer to the dosing directions on the supplement and consult with a professional practitioner.
What to Look For in a Good Sage Supplement
When buying whole sage leaves, you’ll want to shop in the same way that you would when shopping for anything else you’ll be putting in your body. Be careful and look for reputable and high-quality herb. Aim to buy organic or naturally-grown sage that is grown without the use of artificial fertilizers or pesticides. This is especially important when making medicine, as you want to use as pure of a plant as possible.
You can buy either fresh or dried sage. Dried sage will last for longer, but more of it will need to be used at a time for either food, tea or making extracts.
When buying a sage supplement in the form of a pre-made extract or capsules, there are a few things you can look for to ensure that you’re buying a quality product. These are ways to vet a company when you’re buying a non-local product that you’re not familiar with.
Firstly, you can look for a supplement that complies with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and has a Certificate of Analysis (COA). Secondly, pay attention to the dosing information; it should specify the amount and species of sage, and it should have enough doses in the bottle that the cost of the supplement is worthwhile. Additionally, the supplement should contain few other ingredients aside from the plant material; it should contain no dyes, flavors, or fillers.
You may be wondering whether it’s better to buy a sage supplement or make your own at home. There are pros and cons to either approach. Buying a sage supplement from a company without an already-established reputation can be risky, since there’s a chance you’ll end up consuming a low-quality product. However, buying or making a homemade supplement means that you won’t know the precise dosing information of the product — so there’s more variability in terms of safety and effectiveness — while you’ll be more certain of the exact source and ingredients.
The post 10 Best Sage Supplements – Reviewed & Ranked for 2017 appeared first on Supplement Hound - Supplement Reviews for 2016.
from Supplement Hound – Supplement Reviews for 2016 http://supplementhound.com/best-sage-supplements/
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