Sage: Benefits, Ingredients, Tea and Capsules – The Complete Guide

Common sage, botanically known as Salvia officinalis, grows in almost every herb garden and is one of Europe's oldest cultivated plants. Its name alone reveals the reputation the plant held for centuries: it comes from the Latin salvare, meaning "to heal" or "to save". In 2023, common sage was named Medicinal Plant of the Year.

In this guide, you'll learn what's in the grey-green leaves, what types of sage there are, what research has investigated about their effects, and how to prepare sage tea properly. We'll also cover thujone, pregnancy and breastfeeding, and whether tea, fresh leaves or capsules might suit you best.

At Vitalplant, we make our Sage Capsules at our family-run manufacturing facility in Memmingen: a 4:1 leaf extract, laboratory-tested and free from fillers. But before we get to capsules, let's take a closer look at the plant itself.

What is sage? A profile of common sage

Sage is an evergreen subshrub in the mint family, related to rosemary, thyme, oregano and mint. Its stems become woody at the base but remain herbaceous at the top. The plant usually grows 30 to 60 centimetres tall, sometimes taller, and has elongated oval, wrinkled leaves covered in soft, velvety hairs. In June and July, violet-blue flowers appear in loose spikes, attracting bumblebees and bees in droves.

Common sage originally comes from the Mediterranean region and the western Balkans. It grows there on sunny, dry, chalky slopes. The leaves' grey colour and felt-like hairs are an adaptation to this climate: they reflect sunlight and slow evaporation. That's why sage stays green even in the hottest summers.

Its distinctive resinous, aromatic scent comes from tiny oil glands on the leaf surface. Rub a leaf between your fingers and the glands burst, releasing the essential oil.

Common sage, clary sage, chia: which sage are we talking about?

With around 900 to 1,000 species, the genus Salvia is the largest in the mint family. When it comes to tea, seasoning or capsules, it almost always means common sage. But you'll often encounter some of its relatives too:

Sage in history: from Knossos to monastery gardens

People have used sage for thousands of years. A species of sage can be seen in a roughly 3,500-year-old fresco in the Palace of Knossos on Crete. In the first century, the Greek physician Dioscorides and the Roman Pliny the Elder described the plant in their writings.

Sage reached Central Europe through monasteries. In the Capitulare de villis, a decree on the management of estates issued by Charlemagne around 800, it appears on the list of plants to be grown on royal estates. Around 840, Walahfrid Strabo, abbot of Reichenau, placed sage first among the medicinal plants in his garden poem Hortulus. And Hildegard of Bingen devoted one of the most detailed chapters in her natural history work Physica to it.

The best-known verse about sage probably comes from the famous medical school of Salerno. Loosely translated, it asks: "Why should a person die when sage grows in their garden?" It was meant as praise for the plant, not a promise - the rest of the verse acknowledges that no herb can prevent death.

Harvesting: when sage has the most flavour

The leaves are harvested just before or at the start of flowering, in June and July. Their essential oil content is highest then and decreases afterwards. They are dried gently in the shade or at a low temperature. Too much heat drives off the very volatile aromatic compounds that matter.

Ingredients: what's in sage leaves

The composition varies depending on the variety, growing location, harvest time and drying method. Four groups of plant compounds are characteristic of common sage:

• Essential oil: around 1 to 2.5 percent of the dried leaves. Its main components are thujone, camphor and 1,8-cineole. The European Pharmacopoeia requires a minimum essential oil content for medicinal-grade sage.
• Tannins: around 2 to 6 percent, mainly the so-called Lamiaceae tannins, with rosmarinic acid as the most prominent. They give sage its slightly astringent taste.
• Diterpenes: primarily carnosic acid, which forms carnosol during drying and storage. Both are also found in rosemary.
• Flavonoids: around 1 to 3 percent, including derivatives of luteolin and apigenin.

There are also bitter compounds and triterpenes such as ursolic acid. Together, they give sage its distinctive flavour: aromatic, tart and slightly bitter.

Thujone: why the amount matters

Thujone can make up as much as half of the essential oil. In high amounts, it is considered harmful to the nervous system. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) therefore sets an upper limit of less than 6 milligrams of thujone per day for sage medicines.

What matters in practice: thujone is fat-soluble and only a small amount passes into hot water. Tea prepared in the usual way therefore contains little of it. The main concern is pure sage essential oil, which is not intended for consumption. Overdoses involving seizures have only been reported with the oil, not with leaves or tea.

Sage benefits: what research has investigated

Sage is one of the plants with the longest history of use in European herbal medicine. The EMA lists sage leaves as a traditional herbal medicinal product. This classification is based on long-standing use, not on robust studies. Sage is also available from pharmacies as a medicine, for example as tea, lozenges or a gargling solution.

Research has focused mainly on three areas. Most studies are small, lasted only a few weeks and used very different preparations. You can find the individual studies in the sources below.

Sage and sweating: what has been studied

Traditionally, sage is most often associated with excessive sweating, including during menopause. A widely cited study from 2011 followed 71 menopausal women for eight weeks as they took a sage tablet made from fresh leaves. However, the study had no comparison group, and the authors worked for the manufacturer. A 2023 review evaluated four controlled studies involving around 300 participants in total and found no conclusive result.

Sage and mental wellbeing: studies on memory and mood

A second area of research looks at memory, attention and mood. From 2003 onwards, British research groups conducted several studies, each involving a few dozen healthy volunteers who received a single dose of sage. Some of these studies did not investigate common sage at all, but Spanish sage instead. Whether the findings have any practical relevance to everyday life remains unclear.

Gargling with sage: tradition and studies

Sage tea has been used as a gargle for centuries. Among other things, a throat spray containing sage extract was investigated in a study involving nearly 300 participants. There are also laboratory and animal studies on other topics, such as blood sugar and blood fats. However, such results cannot be directly applied to humans.

How to prepare sage tea

Sage tea is the classic way to enjoy sage. It's easy to make, but it's worth paying attention to the quantities:

• Dried leaves: pour 150 millilitres of boiling water over 1 to 2 grams, approximately one tablespoon.
• Fresh leaves: use around 3 to 5 leaves per cup, rinsing and lightly tearing them first.
• Steeping time: 10 to 15 minutes, preferably covered so the essential oil doesn't escape with the steam.
• For gargling: make the tea a little stronger and let it cool until lukewarm.

Sage tea has a strong, tart and slightly bitter flavour. If that's too intense, mix it with peppermint, lemon balm or a little honey. As with all herbal teas, enjoy it as part of a varied selection rather than drinking litres of it over long periods.

Sage in the kitchen

Sage is a classic ingredient in Mediterranean cooking. In Italy, it's used in saltimbocca, gnocchi with brown butter and pumpkin ravioli. Crisply fried sage leaves make a simple starter. Because its flavour intensifies during cooking, a few leaves are usually enough. Fresh sage keeps for a few days in the fridge when wrapped in a damp cloth.

Sage capsules, tea or fresh leaves?

The best form for you depends on what you're looking for. Fresh leaves and tea are enjoyable, but their composition varies. Capsules provide the same amount every day.

What does 4:1 mean for sage extract?

The extract ratio shows how concentrated the leaves are. At 4:1, four parts of dried sage leaves yield one part extract. This means 350 milligrams of extract are equivalent to around 1,400 milligrams of leaf material. Without this information, it's hard to interpret a milligram figure on the packaging: 350 mg of pure leaf powder is very different from 350 mg of extract.

How to recognise good sage capsules

• Common sage: The label should say Salvia officinalis, not just "sage".
• Extract with a stated ratio: A clearly stated extract ratio such as 4:1 shows how much leaf material is used.
• Leaves only: Traditionally, only the leaves are used.
• Short ingredients list: Extract and capsule shell, with no fillers, anti-caking agents or colourings.
• Laboratory-tested: Every batch is tested by an independent laboratory, for example for heavy metals.
• No essential oil: Capsules containing pure sage oil are not the right choice because of their thujone content.

Side effects and safety

Sage leaves and sage tea are considered well tolerated in usual amounts. In its assessment, the EMA lists no known side effects or interactions, and identifies hypersensitivity to sage as the only contraindication. There are still a few things worth knowing.

How much sage tea per day?

The EMA assessment allows for up to three cups of sage tea daily. There is no fixed upper limit for tea because the thujone content of the infusion is low and varies considerably. If you drink sage tea over many weeks, it's best to alternate it with other herbal teas. For capsules, follow the recommended intake on the packaging.

Sage during pregnancy

There is a lack of safety data for pregnant women. The EMA therefore advises against sage preparations during pregnancy. This applies to larger amounts of tea, extracts and capsules. A few leaves used as a seasoning are different - if you're unsure, speak to your gynaecologist or midwife.

Sage while breastfeeding

Sage tea has a well-established place in traditional medicine for weaning. There is little evidence to support this. Because safety data are lacking, the EMA also advises against sage preparations while breastfeeding. If you're breastfeeding and want to drink sage tea, it's best to discuss it with your midwife.

Who should avoid sage?

Pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid sage preparations, as should children and adolescents, for whom no data are available. Anyone with epilepsy or who takes medication regularly should consult a doctor before taking sage extracts. Sage essential oil should never be taken by mouth, even when diluted.

Sage Capsules from Vitalplant

Our Sage Capsules each contain 350 mg of common sage leaf extract at a 4:1 ratio. This is equivalent to around 1,400 mg of leaf material. The capsule contains nothing but the extract and a vegan shell made from hydroxypropylmethylcellulose: no fillers, anti-caking agents or colourings. Take one capsule daily with a meal, so 60 capsules last for 60 days. They are packaged in amber glass, and every batch is tested for heavy metals by an independent laboratory.

You'll also find sage extract in our Meno Vital Capsules, combined with extracts of wild yam, red clover and reishi. If you prefer sage as a tea, you'll find it in our Organic Breath Tea.

→ Discover Sage Capsules

→ Discover Meno Vital Capsules

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