Sage: story of a virtuous evergreen plant

Topic index:

The plant
History
What are the properties and benefits of sage?
How to use sage?
Curiosity

Who doesn’t know sage? As children, we all were taught to rub a sage leaf on our teeth for an immediate whitening effect. That’s because sage, in addition to being a very common evergreen plant in the Mediterranean area, is a precious ally for our well-being. Let’s find out more about the origins, uses and benefits of sage.

You can find it in everyone’s kitchens all over Italy: sage is indeed one of the most loved and appreciated aromatic herbs. Tasty and beneficial, sage is an excellent remedy to reduce swelling, excessive sweating and menopausal symptoms. It is also the secret ingredient of French natural cosmetics: it’s used for beauty skin and hair masks.

The plant

Sage (Salvia Officinalis) belongs to the family of the lamiaceaewith other well-known aromatic plants such as mint, thyme, oregano and rosemary. It can also be identified by its recognizable smell and by the unmistakable gray-green color of the leaves, even though there is also a pretty common purple variety. Sage is a perennial shrub (a plant which retains their foliage year-round) and it can grow to half a meter in height and can form a beautiful evergreen bush. At the beginning of summer it sprouts flower spikes with small purple or lilac petals.

History

Saying sage has always been synonymous with well-being; known and appreciated since ancient times for its phytotherapeutic properties, its name gives a specific hint about its functions (from latin salvia which means “to save”, “to heal”).
The Gauls considered sage to be helpful against all diseases and to eradicate fever and cough, while other people thought that it could even resurrect the dead ones and therefore used sage to make magical rites. For the Romans, sage was a sacred plant and the harvest was reserved only to some selected people who, for the occasion, wore a particular outfit and made sacrifices. In the Middle Ages it was used as a healing agent but in the 17th century it became a valuable bargaining chip which was even exchanged for three tea baskets by Dutch merchants. But what is sage used for and why is it considered so precious?

What are the properties and benefits of sage?

Sage’s original name is called salvia officinalis for its healing functions, performs an antibacterial and disinfectant function due to tannins and rosmarinic acid (a very common feature to all laminaceae). In addition to that, this plant is useful against asthma and respiratory diseases. Hypoglycemic and diuretic, sage promotes digestion, especially after a hearty meal thanks to the synergistic action of flavonoids and phenolic acids. We bet you are wondering how to make a sage infusion. We have good news: you can find this precious herb in our Remedium n.3 – Digestive, a blend of plants working synergically to promote digestion and to make you feel free from that typical heaviness when you overeat.

How to use sage?

The first simplest recommendation on how to use sage is with potatoes. Rosemary, a relative of sage, together with thyme and sage will provide a rich and full aroma to this side dish. Another good use of sage is baked pumpkin with a drizzle of oil, sweet paprika, a pinch of salt and a few sage leaves and voilà! Sage has not to be underestimated in cosmetics too. Used as a whitening ingredient in toothpastes or in a beauty mask, sage is a beauty formula. On the other hand if you are asking yourself how to dry sage , then you have to remove the best leaves from the stem; after washing and dabbing them with a clean cotton cloth, put them on a rack and leave them a cool and dry place. If you want to have sage always at your fingertips? Here’s how to preserve sage in salt: take the aforementioned washed leaves and put them in an airtight glass jar. Cover with extra-virgin olive oil and let it rest in the dark for a week before using them.

Curiosity

Are your hair weak and are you suffering from hair loss? A sage mask will save you. Sage is also an excellent remedy for dull hair, as well as a perfect remedy to darken brown hair in a natural way.

References

https://www.cure-naturali.it/enciclopedia-naturale/alimentazione/nutrizione/salvia.html
https://www.ortodacoltivare.it/aromatiche/coltiva-la-salvia.html
https://sorgentenatura.it/speciali/prodotti-ricavati-dalla-salvia
https://www.vegolosi.it/glossario/salvia/
http://www.revegfruit.it/blog/curiosita-sulla-salvia
https://www.greenme.it/vivere/salute-e-benessere/salvia-usi-salute-bellezza/#Olio_essenziale_contro_le_rughe_degli_occhi