They say addiction is a bad thing, but what happens if what you’re addicted to is actually good for you? My case in point? Sage tea. I love the stuff. I’d bathe in it if I could (and probably will now I’m thinking of it).
While my introduction to sage was the dried version you burn to clear negative and stuck energies, just as the Native Americans have done for centuries, I’d never thought about drinking the stuff. Until my Reiki master handed me a cup one day. Since then it has been a sweet love affair between drinker and drink, between herb lover and said herb. But it’s also the health benefits of this powerful lil plant that keep me within its charms.
We Westerners have taken a while to understand the benefits Sage tea, which have been well-known in the Mediterranean and Asia for eons.
Sage is most commonly used as an infusion, extract, tincture (a medicine made by dissolving a plant/drug in alcohol so says the dictionary), poultice (made into a moist clump, basically) and spice. It can be used to calm or stimulate. The tea has traditionally been used for mouth, throat and tonsil inflammations. Made strong, with a dash or lemon and raw sugar, it can help heal ulcers and skin abrasions.
Because I love it so much, I had to share some of this enthusiasm. Here are some more great benefits of sage:
• It can be used to darken hair;
• If rubbed on your teeth it can strengthen the gums;
• It can reduce fevers and nervousness;
• It’s a great digestion booster, as it stimulates the nervous system;
• It’s considered a useful treatment for typhoid fever;
• It has been known to help liver and kidney troubles;
• Sage is used to combat sore throats, measles and the common cold;
• It’s used to treat pains in joints from lethargy and palsy;
• Sage tea can also help keep excessive perspiration from, well, being excessive.
So where to buy this gem of a tea? Most good health food stores carry it. Here’s a guide for brewing the perfect cup. Oh and according to experts, you shouldn’t use a concentrated concoction of the herb if you’re pregnant.
Like anything, it’s all good in moderation. So with that in mind, the bath idea may well be taking things a wee bit too far…
