BY CLAIR WHITTY
Many of you will be familiar with the herb sage. It’s best known as a female tonic and is commonly associated with cooling hot flushes and night sweats. It can be used by both men and women who overheat, helping with sweaty hands and sweaty feet too. But leaving the conversation there would do sage an injustice. Sometimes herbs can be put in one box with one health benefit when they can offer us much more help.
For example, sage can support cognitive function, reduce brain fog, improve sluggish memory and recall for both men and women. I was reading some research which showed that those taking sage extract performed better on tests that measured memory, problem solving, and reasoning.
I’ve also read that it may be helpful to relieve stomach cramps and reduce anxiety. Its antibacterial properties make it a useful herb to help sore throats and tonsilitis. You can gargle with sage tea or if you prefer you can use a herbal sage tincture like A.Vogel Menosan.
If you grow sage, you could make your own tea fresh from the garden. Or, if you prefer, you can get Sage tea bags, the brand I like is Salus – they’re quite potent. To make a tea using fresh sage add one or two teaspoons of the chopped herb into a cup of boiling water that has rested for a bit. Leave to infuse for 5- 7 minutes and then enjoy. You can have two or three cups per day. If you’re on medication do be careful as it may increase the action of some medication.
You could also add some fresh sage to food: for example, food garnish, add to stuffing, make sage butter, simply add to your favourite pasta dish and enjoy.
If you don’t have sage in your garden or if you prefer to take a supplement you could try A.Vogel Menoforce Sage supplements.
It’s great to know that sage which we can find in our garden can help alleviate some menopausal symptoms, help with cognitive function, and general health too. Like I said, it’s much more than just a coolant!
Stay cool and focused with sage, you don’t have to be a gardener to get the benefits!
For more information and advice why not call in and see us or give us a call.
Natural Health Store
Market Cross Shopping Centre
Kilkenny
Phone: 056 764538
Email: info@naturalhealthstore.ie
Shop online at www.naturalhealthstore.ie
