6 Health Benefits of Sage (they’ll make you with for Thanksgiving dinner)
Sage is an herb that has been used in herbal medicines and remedies for thousands of years. Its name is derived from the Latin word “salvere,” which means “to be saved.” Botanists believed that sage was potent enough to save lives!
Here are a few of the amazing health benefits of sage:
- Treat muscle aches — Sage contains compounds that help to treat muscle aches, as well as rheumatism and arthritis. The rosmarinic oils in the herb make it a valuable treatment for muscle and joint pains.
- Treat Alzheimer’s –– While science has yet to prove this conclusively, it is believed that sage can help to improve cognition in Alzheimer’s patients. Not only could it boost overall mental performance, but it may also help to reduce anxiety and agitation in patients suffering from memory loss. Sage is believed to reduce the natural loss of acetylcholine, the chemical responsible for forming connections and sending messages in the brain. By preventing this loss, you can keep your brain functioning well!
- Improve diabetes –– In one clinical study, patients given sage leaf extract over the course of 3 months experienced lower overall fasting glucose levels. This means that they were at less of a risk for diabetes, or they were better able to control their current condition.
- Reduce cholesterol –– In the same study mentioned above, patients who took sage leaf extract for 3 months had lower total and LDL cholesterol levels, as well as lower levels of triglycerides. Even better, sage leaf extract helped to increase their HDL cholesterol levels, helping the body to control cholesterol on its own.
- Provide antioxidants –– Sage is packed with antioxidants, including phenolic flavonols like luteolin, apigenin, and diosmetin. It also contains rosmarinic acid, a powerful antioxidant that can help to reduce inflammation in the body. The antioxidants in sage will help to stabilize oxygen-related metabolism, and it can help to reduce oxidative stress and damage to your cells.
- Prevent inflammation –– Thanks to the rosmarinic acid, sage is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent that can seriously boost your health. The acid is absorbed into your GI tract, where it helps to reduce your body’s natural inflammatory response. Adding sage as a seasoning to your food can help to reduce the inflammation caused by arthritis, muscle pains, and other autoimmune disorders.
READ MORE: 12 Health Benefits of Rosemary
Some pretty amazing health benefits, right?
But how can you use sage? You’ve probably rarely encountered this herb before, so you have no idea how to cook with it. Here are a few tips to help you incorporate more sage into your meals:
- Add it into any tomato-based meals. It’s a wonderful addition to tomato sauces.
- Add it into beans. Navy beans are especially delicious when prepared with sage, olive oil, and garlic.
- Add it into eggs. Not scrambled eggs, but frittatas and omelets. Anything with a bit of veggies and onions will be delicious with sage.
- Add it into salad. Sprinkle a bit of sage onto your salads, and it will bring out the delicious flavor of the greens.
- Add it on pizza. Just like oregano and parsley make a wonderfully aromatic addition to your pizza, so too sage can help to liven things up.
- Add it into fish or chicken dishes. It helps to bring out the rich flavors of the poultry and fish.
Adding sage is definitely the way to go, as it offers so many amazing health benefits–as you saw above!
