Sage, also known as Salvia officinalis, is a small evergreen shrub in the same family as mint. For many years, sage has been used in alternative and traditional medicine.
Apart from using sage as a spice, we can still get the health benefits by consuming sage in form of tea, called sage tea.
Sage tea is an aromatic drink made by infusing the leaves of common sage in hot water, in a kettle or boiling pot.
In this article, we learn how to make sage tea step by step.
How to make sage tea
Sage tea is easy to make and will not require any special equipment. There are two options available in making sage tea. You may decide to use fresh sage or dry sage leaves.
Sage tea
Equipment
- Kettel or boiling pot
- Metal strainer
Ingredients
- 8 medium-sized sage leaves or 2 tablespoons of dry sage leaves choose one
- 4 cups water
- Sweetners such as honey, stevia, lemon, sugar optional
Instructions
- Boil the water in a kettle.
- When the water boils, drop in the fresh sage leaves or the dry sage leaves depending on your choice.
- Steep for about 8 minutes on low heat.
- Take the kettle off the heat
- Using a metal strainer, separate the leaves from your tea.
- Add a sweetener if desired.
- Serve while hot.
Fresh or dried, which sage makes the best tea.
Both teas work out fine but the taste and flavor will be quite different.
Fresh sage leaves give a deeper and sweeter flavor compared to dry sage.
When you use fresh sage leaves, you will get more benefits compared to one who used dried sage leaves.
However, fresh sage leaves can be hard to keep fresh, and storing them for a long period can make them lose their flavor.
On the other hand, dry sage leaves can be easier to store without losing their flavor for a long time. Dry leaves can be the best choice if you aren’t planning to stock your sage leaves every after 2 days.
Fresh sage leaves will be better than dried leaves when they are fresh from the garden and haven’t been stored for a long time. Even in the refrigerator, the leaves will still lose flavor as time passes on.
Health benefits of sage tea
Sage tea has a lot of health benefits that are associated with the presence of antioxidants, nutrients, and vitamins in sage.
Drinking sage tea will have the following effects on the body;
- Drinking sage tea promotes oral health by getting rid of bad breath. It also has compounds that fight dental plaque and heals wounds in the mouth.
- The anti-cancer properties in sage make sage tea able to fight cancers such as breast cancer, cervix, skin, liver, and colon cancer. The anticancer properties are linked to carnosol, rosmarinic acid, and ursolic acid which are compounds found in sage tea.
- Sage tea can help you improve blood sugar and insulin sensitivity. The effect of sage tea is similar to metformin which is a drug that is used in diabetes treatment.
- Drinking sage tea is calming and can improve brain and memory health. Sage tea can improve Alzheimer’s disease symptoms.
- Sage tea can reduce cholesterol levels to those required by the body. This helps prevent the risk of heart disease associated with high cholesterol levels.
- Sage tea is packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties that improve the body’s immunity to fight against chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and certain cancers. The tea also helps to fight against inflammation and soothe the symptoms.
- Sage tea also has many various nutrients and vitamins that are needed for a healthy body. Nutrients such as potassium, folate, beta-carotene, phosphorous, and vitamins such as vitamin K, and A are found in sage. Taking sage tea can help you meet the body’s nutrient and vitamin requirements.
Read more on the health benefits of sage as an herb.
The side effect of sage tea
Although sage is considered safe when used in the amounts found in food, sage contains thujone and camphor, essential oils that have the potential to harm your body if taken by mouth in very high amounts, with serious adverse effects such as seizures and organ damage.
Other side effects include;
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Agitation
- Wheezing
- Skin rash
- High or low blood pressure
- Allergic reactions
- Lowered blood sugar levels in diabetics
So, how much sage tea should I take a day?
According to a study published in Chemical Central Journal, three to six cups of sage tea can be consumed daily without reaching a toxicological limit.
Another study shows that daily intake should be based on the average thujone and camphor content, which are 4.4 mg/L and 16.7 mg/L, respectively, in food tea and 11.3 mg/L and 25.4 mg/L in medicinal tea.
The bottom line.
Herbal teas are so powerful in relieving pains, calming the mind, and aiding digestion. If you are interested in herbal teas, read The best herbal teas that will promote your health and of which sage is also included.
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