A wise old herb
SAGE is a perennial member of the Lamiaceae family, which contains over 600 varieties. The name derives from the latin salvare (to make well). The most popular variety is Salvia officinalis which grows to lm by l.5m. Like all aromatics, it requires well-drained soil and can easily be propagated from seed or cuttings. Originally from the Mediterranean it is now grown everywhere. Sage is evergreen and the several sub-species of officinalis range in colour from gold, purple, white, peach to the pink, white and green of ‘tricolour’.
Most readers will be familiar with the culinary uses of sage in soups, stews, stuffings and salads. The chemical compounds break down fatty meats and aid digestion. A particular favourite of mine is ‘mousetails’: the leaf, complete with stalk, is detached from the stem, dipped in a light batter and dropped into hot oil for 2 minutes and served hot as an hors d’oeuvre.
Medieval herbalists associated sage with longevity and attributed it with the power to halt brain degeneration; ‘Sage will retard that rapid progress that treads upon our heels so fast in latter years of life, will preserve faculties and memory more valuable to the rational mind than life itself’ (John Lill l756). This resonates with an interesting experiment conducted by Kings College, London University, in the mid-nineties relating to Alzheimer’s Disease.
The Department of Pharmacy was investigating the inhibitory activity of various Salvia species on cholinesterase, a naturally-occurring enzyme thought to be a contributory factor of AD. Among the many species of Salvia tested was Salvia fruticosa, a Cypriot endemic known locally as Spatsia. This plant proved to contain one the highest inhibitory compounds of all the sages being tested, which may account for its popularity as a winter tea among the old folk of the island.
Salvia miltiorrhiza features prominently in Chinese herbal medicine as a remedy for poor circulation and as a preventive for heart attack. It also inhibits the tuberculosis bacillus. In Western herbal medicine, Salvia officinalis and S. lavandulaefolia are widely used as gargles for sore throats and mouth ulcers. The plant has an oestrogenic property which helps to regulate the period cycle and has proved valuable to post-menpausal women affected by hot flushes and dizziness. A cup of cold sage tea taken before bed-time will reduce and sometimes eliminate night-sweats. Rinsing with a strong sage infusion is a Romany remedy for grey hair.
Burning sage sticks (smudges) is a common feature of purifying ceremonies in folklore where premises are believed to harbour evil spirits. Sage is another companion plant that will deter carrot fly and cabbage whites.
The herb produces an essential oil which is anti-oxidant, antiseptic, anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory, which is used in food flavourings, mouthwashes, soaps, shampoos and detergents and also to flavour vermouth. Most sages with the exception of S. Lavandulaefolia contain thujone, a neurotoxin, and cannot be used in aromatherapy.
Sage should be avoided in pregnancy and by those prone to high blood pressure and epilepsy.
By Alexandre McCowan
Next week: Melissa
