Sage: Medicine from the Meadow

When I was a young adult with my first apartment, my mother gave me some recipes that were quick to fix and could be downsized so that I wouldn't be eating the same thing four nights in a row. I remember that her baked chicken and grilled pork chop recipes called for ¼ teaspoon of sage per four servings. It wasn't until I was in my late thirties that I discovered the uses sage has for home remedies while I was studying the general sociology of some of the Native American nations.

Recently I found out that sage is not as common in the Native American culture as I thought. Its beginning actually came from the middle Mediterranean countries in Europe and Asia Minor and was used mostly for the healing of consumption, ulcers, and snake bits. It was the Romans who figured out that iron reacts with sage and, therefore, sage must be harvested with a non-iron utensil. Later on, during the middle ages, sage was put in tea to treat the symptoms of colds and flu. It was also known to help with liver problems and epilepsy.

Sage isn't used for those ailments now but studies support its use to assist in treatment against inflectional bacteria. Sage is also approved by Commission E in treatments for indigestion. Maybe all of us should be drinking sage tea after a big meal. It isn't difficult to make your own. All you need is a tea leave holder and some dried sage leaves. Both can be found at the grocery store. Put 1 to 2 teaspoons of the sage into the tea strainer and put it in the cup you'll be using for the tea. Add 1 cup of boiling water and steep for 10 minutes. You can also use this tea to help regulate blood sugar. Be care not to drink too much of this tea. Sage has a toxic chemical in it called thujone that, in large doses, could cause convulsions. To avoid any health complications, limit your use of the tea to 3 times a day.

When using sage in cooking, be sparse with it because it has a strong flavor. It can be added to a variety of dishes to enhance the flavor. I've added sage to my biscuit and muffin mixes and rice as well as the pork and chicken dishes I mentioned earlier. It would probably be a great addition for stews and fish too.

Sage can be grown in your own garden with ease. It's a perennial so it'll come back year after year. This way you can have fresh and dry sage for all of your needs.