Sage
Healing essence of sage Powerful Antioxidant
Anti-Alzheimer's
Memory enhancer
Anti-anxiety
Cardioprotective
Anti-inflammatory
Salvia officinalis
In a comprehensive global analysis of over 3100 different foods published in the January 2010 edition of the Nutrition Journal, sage was found to have one of the highest antioxidant contents of all the foods studied.Sage is a common garden spice that is a native to southern Europe. Its inclusion in the recipes of countries in that region make it a valuable contributor to the health promoting properties of the Mediterranean Diet. Although its leaves are employed primarily as a food flavourant, it also has a long history of use as a medicine. The word sage is derived from the Latin word "salvia" – to heal. It is not surprising therefore that, over the centuries it has been used to treat almost every type of ailment. However modern scientific research has shown that this spice is indeed an extremely valuable medicine. Studies have shown that it can help to combat Alzheimer's disease, anxiety, cardiovascular disease and improve memory and cognition in both young and older individuals. It is at least as effective as non-culinary herbs such as ginkgo and ginseng – two potentially toxic herbs that are taken extensively for their purported neuroprotective and memory enhancing effect.
Medicinal properties
Alzheimer's disease
Clinical, animal and laboratory studies have shown that sage can help both the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and contain the pathological mechanisms underlying this neurodegenerative condition.Old memories
Sage contains cholinesterase inhibitor compounds that give it the ability to act in a similar way to drugs currently used to alleviate some of the effects of Alzheimer's disease. Cholinesterase inhibitors slow the breakdown of the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine, thereby improving interconnectivity between different parts of the brain. By so doing they enhance cognition and memory – functions that deteriorate in Alzheimer's patients. Two helpful acids
More importantly, compounds in sage such as carnosic acid and rosmarinic acid both help to combat the pathological processes that underlie Alzheimer's disease. Both of these compounds are strong antioxidants; carnosic acid is particularly useful as it crosses the blood-brain barrier to counteract free radical damage to the brain. Carnosic acid
also enhances the production of glutathione, one of the most important of the body's own antioxidants. Furthermore, it helps to improve circulation to the brain by dilating the middle cerebral arteries. This is a very important function as a declining blood supply to the brain exacerbates the impaired neurological function caused by other pathological processes associated with neurodegenerative diseases. Beats beta-amyloid
Sage also counters the damaging effects of beta-amyloid, the protein that clogs up the neural pathways in the brain and is the root cause of Alzheimer's disease.
Memory and Anxiety
Young memories
Clinical trials have shown that sage also improves the memory of normal, healthy young adults who have no signs of neurological disease.Becalmed
Studies have also shown it to be very effective in mild to moderate anxiety states. What fantastic spice for the modern student – memory enhancement AND relief from pre-examination anxiety!
A spicy trio for brain health
Along with its fellow Mediterranean herb, rosemary and the eastern spice, turmeric, sage is an essential food that we should all take in order to enhance our overall health, ward off Alzheimer's disease and generally improve our brain function.
The more the merrier - and spicier!
Eat a variety of spices
It is also well worth noting that compounds in spices and between spices have intricate synergistic reactions that enhance one another's medicinal benefits. For this reason it is vital to use a range of spices rather than one or two of these essential plant foods.
Spice supplement
VitaSpice contains sage, rosemary, turmeric and 18 other important medicinal spices
Scientific references
- Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2008 May;198(1):127-39.An extract of Salvia (sage) with anticholinesterase properties improves memory and attention in healthy older volunteers.Scholey AB, Tildesley NT, Ballard CG, Wesnes KA, Tasker A, Perry EK, Kennedy DO.
- Phytother Res. 2004 Apr;18(4):315-24.Butyryl- and acetyl-cholinesterase inhibitory activities in essential oils of Salvia species and their constituents.Savelev SU, Okello EJ, Perry EK.
- Br J Nutr. 2008 Oct;100(4):731-8. Epub 2008 Feb 26.Carnosic acid prevents the migration of human aortic smooth muscle cells by inhibiting the activation and expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9.
- Neuropsychopharmacology. 2006 Apr;31(4):845-52.Effects of cholinesterase inhibiting sage (Salvia officinalis) on mood, anxiety and performance on a psychological stressor battery.Kennedy DO, Pace S, Haskell C, Okello EJ, Milne A, Scholey AB.
- Curr Pharm Des. 2006;12(35):4613-23.The psychopharmacology of European herbs with cognition-enhancing properties.Kennedy DO, Scholey AB.
- Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2003 Jun;75(3):651-9.Salvia for dementia therapy: review of pharmacological activity and pilot tolerability clinical trial.Perry NS, Bollen C, Perry EK, Ballard C.
- Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2003 Jun;75(3):669-74.Salvia lavandulaefolia (Spanish sage) enhances memory in healthy young volunteers.Tildesley NT, Kennedy DO, Perry EK, Ballard CG, Savelev S, Wesnes KA, Scholey AB.
- J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2006 Jun;317(3):1143-9. Epub 2006 Feb 22.The spice sage and its active ingredient rosmarinic acid protect PC12 cells from amyloid-beta peptide-induced neurotoxicity.Iuvone T, De Filippis D, Esposito G, D'Amico A, Izzo AA.
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