Sage May Ease Menopause Symptoms

Common sage (Salvia officinalis) is a member of the mint family and was traditionally used to reduce menopause symptoms. While this plant is native to the Mediterranean region, it is now widely grown as a favorite kitchen and medicinal herb. It has light purple flowers that can make our gardens attractive and has leaves that are covered with tiny, hair-like structures called trichomes.

This herb has been an essential ingredient in the practice of traditional medicine. One of the beneficial uses of sage is to provide relief from menstrual problems and menopausal symptoms. During menopausal, at least two-thirds of women experience a wide range of unpleasant symptoms including hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, irritability, and tiredness.

When it comes to excessive sweating and hot flashes, sage is one of the recommended natural remedies.

In a review conducted, results showed that estrogen-like properties are present in sage and these bind to certain receptors in our brain to help improve brain memory and treat excessive sweating and hot flushes.

In one study, it was found that the daily use of a sage supplement significantly reduced the number and intensity of hot flashes over eight weeks. In this study, the researchers assess the safety and efficacy of sage as an herbal tonic to reduce the frequency and severity of menopausal hot flashes.

Participants of this study were 71 women with an average age of approximately 56, all have been menopausal for at least a year, and were experiencing five or more hot flushes daily. They were given a daily tablet of fresh sage leaves for eight weeks. After 4 weeks half of the women experienced a significant decrease in hot flush symptoms. The symptoms decrease every week and several flushes were eliminated completely.

An older clinical study found that taking sage with alfalfa daily reduced hot flashes and night sweats. The study was conducted in 30 menopausal women in Italy. All the women showed improvements, with the majority reporting complete relief of symptoms.