🌿 Sage
🍴 Edible Parts
🤝 Companions (14)
⚠️ Keep Apart (11)
💊 Medicinal Uses
Conditions Treated
Preparation Methods
- Sage gargle: Strong infusion cooled; gargle for sore throat, tonsillitis, mouth ulcers 3-4x daily
- Sweat-reducing tea: 1 tsp dried sage in cold water brought to boil, steeped 5 min; 1 cup in evening for night sweats
- Tincture: 1:5 in 45% alcohol; 1-2ml 3x daily for menopausal symptoms or excessive sweating
- Smudge stick: Dried sage bundle burned ceremonially (also antimicrobial smoke)
- Tooth powder: Dried powdered sage used historically as tooth cleanser
- Infused honey: Sage in honey for sore throat and cough
Active Compounds
⚠️ Safety
Do NOT use medicinal doses during pregnancy or breastfeeding (thujone can cause uterine contractions and affect milk supply). Avoid if epileptic (thujone may trigger seizures). Limit medicinal use to 1-2 weeks at a time. High doses of thujone are neurotoxic. Culinary amounts are safe. Not for long-term internal medicinal use.
📜 History & Folklore
🏛️ Ancient
Romans held sage as sacred, harvested with ceremony. Used for snakebite, digestive issues, and female complaints. 'Salvia' from 'salvare' (to save/heal).
🏰 Medieval
'Cur moriatur homo cui salvia crescit in horto?' , 'Why should a man die while sage grows in his garden?' Medieval proverb showing sage's high esteem. Used during plague epidemics. Key ingredient in Four Thieves Vinegar.
🌿 Folk Medicine
Traditional remedy for 'women's problems' , regulating menstruation, drying breast milk during weaning, treating menopausal hot flashes. Used for excessive salivation and night sweats in tuberculosis patients. Smudging ceremonies in Native American traditions.
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