That's right everybody. Sage is more than just one of several herbs mentioned over and over in that Simon and Garfunkel song. It is no longer a surprise when I hear or read exciting news about the capability of herbal tonics and food concentrates. Regardless of where the world turns or how technology progresses, humanity can look to these natural (and alternative) medicines for reliable relief, treatment and prevention of ailments. As you may have guessed, the herbal topic up for discussion today is sage.
In its pure form, sage is an evergreen perennial shrub with pale green leaves. It smells like camphor and can be classified as an astringent as well as an antiseptic tonic herb. It contains phenolic acids, flavonoids, diterpenoids, triterpenes and an essential oil which contains a-thujone, camphor, 1,8-ceneole and other monoterpenes. The herb, in addition to the oil, can be used to improve liver function and suppress flatulence. It reduces perspiration, lactation, inflammation and the profuse night sweats associated with or due to menopause.
Recently, sage-extract pills have been the more trendy and resurgent alternative medicine. As the world is beginning to fully understand, Alzheimer's disease is a brutal and frightening condition that only seems to increase in frequency. Well, according to "Sage Wisdom," a short article in Science Illustrated July/Aug. 2009, "sage-extract pills have been linked to better short-term memory in healthy volunteers and increased cognitive function in Alzheimer's patients and could one day be part of a standard treatment for the disease."
This is how it works. Cholinesterase is an enzyme that can hinder memory function in senior citizens and older adults who are prone to Alzheimer's. The extracts from sage leaves contain chemicals that naturally combat and inhibit cholinesterase. The Medical Plant Research Centre (MPRC) in England is currently looking into more applications for herbal remedies such as sage.
Although physician-prescribed sage-extract pills are years away and may never make a grand entrance of the medical world's stage, this is great and promising news for any family with a history of Alzheimer's. So, look for that and remember…herbal tonics are where it's at.
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