Sage tea is an effective remedy for cough and respiratory diseases, but that’s not the only benefit of sage tea! As early as the Middle Ages, monks and scholars drank sage tea to keep their minds sharp, which is why it’s also known as “thinker’s tea”!
Sage Tea Benefits
Sage is one of the oldest medicinal plants and even the botanical name for it, “Salvia officinalis“, indicates its healing properties as it translates to “official healing”. Sage leaves are jam-packed with nutrients, including vitamin B, C, E, K, calcium, copper, folate, iron, and magnesium. It’s no surprise then that sage tea’s benefits are manifold:
- Drinking sage tea may provide relief from gum inflammation and ulcerated tonsils by stopping the bleeding and having an anti-inflammatory effect. The antioxidant rosmarinic acid is likely to cause these effects.
- When coughing, sage tea dissolves the mucus in the airways and has an antibacterial effect. With some organic honey in the tea, you support the antibacterial effect of sage.
- Another benefit of sage tea: sage may improve digestion by soothing the digestive tract relieving upset stomachs, constipation, and abdominal pain.
- The healing effect of sage tea comes from the fleshy leaves, which are rich in essential oils like cineol and camphene, which stimulate blood circulation and have a disinfecting and germicidal effect.
Looking for additional cold relief? Check out our Natural Home Remedies for Colds: 7 Easy Recipes
Sage Tea Is Beneficial—Not Just for Colds
Here’s another one of sage tea’s benefits: sage is said to relax nerves and boost moods.
- Sage tea is great to drink when you’re nervous, tense, and stressed, or when you feel anxious.
- It is believed that sage tea can help decrease sweat production, which is especially beneficial for dealing with hot flashes.
- Try using hot sage tea as a remedy for menstrual cramps and pain.
- It lowers bad cholesterol levels and increases good cholesterol.
- Sage is loaded with antioxidants that may aid in lowering the risk of certain types of cancer.
Scholars in the Middle Ages attributed sage with memory-promoting effect and drank sage tea for mental stimulation. Studies from England examined this effect of sage and its conclusions point to better memory performance. A cup of sage tea before an exam might be a good idea!
Sage Tea and Pregnancy
During pregnancy, it is best to err on the side of caution and avoid sage tea. One of sage tea’s benefits is its ability to suppress milk flow, which makes it great for women who want to stop breastfeeding and start weaning their child.
Worried about drinking tea when pregnant? Read more here: Is Tea Safe During Pregnancy? Which Herbal Blends You Can Drink — and Which To Avoid
How to Make Sage Tea
Sage is native to the Mediterranean region, however, monks brought it to Central Europe centuries ago, and it made its way to America from there. It’s easy to grow your own sage. Depending on your growing zone, sage plants may need protection during the cold winter. A spot that is sheltered from the wind works fine, and cover it with some leaves or branches for good measure.
If you plant sage on the balcony, you should overwinter the pot in a sunny, but cool room. Don’t forget to prune your sage plant in the late summer – it will get woody otherwise. If you want to enjoy sage tea throughout the winter, it’s a good idea to dry the sage.
Preparing a Cup of Sage Tea
So here’s how to make sage tea:
- Add approximately three to five fresh sage leaves (or five to seven dried ones) to a mug or teapot and cover with hot water.
- Let the sage leaves steep for about ten minutes.
Dried sage leaves or tea bags can be bought in health food stores and drug stores. Sage is a medicinal tea, so it’s best to purchase organic – conventional herbal teas are often contaminated and contain residues of pesticide.
Buying fair trade herbal tea is not only good for your health but also ensures the tea plantation workers receive fair payment. Organic herbs for medicinal teas are often not cultivated on a large scale but are collected in small fields or even from the wild.
Read on:
This article has been translated from German by Karen Stankiewicz. You can view the original here: Salbeitee: Die Wirkung des natürlichen Erkältungsmittels
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