Used ingredients and constituents

The fresh and dried leaves of sage are used for medicinal purposes. The healing ingredients of the medicinal plant sage are the essential oils with the main components thujone, lineol and camphor, as well as tanning agents and triterpenes. The healing power of the sage leaves also unfolds its effect through its own typical active ingredient Salvin, a bitter substance. The cut sage leaves should be stored in a cool and dry place, protected from light. Plastic containers should not be used for this purpose.

Therapy and application areas

The essential oils have an antimicrobial effect, the triterpenes ursolic acid anti-inflammatory, and the tanning agents tighten the sore skin (= astringent). The medicinal use of sage is particularly recommended for A doctor should always be consulted before using the medicinal plant sage.

Excessive sweating: Tanning agents inhibit the production of sweat, and sage is considered one of the most successful sweat inhibitors. Foot baths with sage can help with sweaty feet or reduce night sweats due to menopausal symptoms.
For gastrointestinal complaints as well as loss of appetite, flatulence, diarrhoea and intestinal inflammation: in smaller quantities sage leaves also contain bitter substances that stimulate the appetite and gastrointestinal activity.
Inflammations of the skin
As a rinsing and gargling agent for bleeding gums, inflammation of the oral mucosa and throat and for laryngitis
Nervous disorders (anxiety disorder) and muscle cramps: in addition to valerian and St. John’s wort, sage is recommended for calming; some studies have shown the positive effects of sage in this regard.

Dosage forms

For the preparation of a sage tea you need cut sage leaves. The water must not be too hot, otherwise the essential oils with their active ingredients would evaporate. One gets finished medicaments as Dragees, drops or gels in the pharmacy.

The recommended daily dose of sage is 4 g to 6 g sage leaves or 0.1 to 0.3 g essential oil. To make a health tea against gastrointestinal complaints you need 1g to 1.5 g sage leaves (cut). These are poured over 150 ml of hot water and strained after 10 minutes.

The tea is drunk half an hour before meals. A sage tea for gargling is made with 2.5 g sage leaves (2 teaspoons) and 100 ml hot water.Inflamed areas of mucous membranes can be treated with an undiluted alcoholic sage extract several times a day. Sage sweets are also available in pharmacies to prevent pharyngitis. In addition, as already mentioned, juices and creams are available in the pharmacy in case of excessive sweating.