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Sage - application, effects and recipes
- True sage is just one of 900 species that contain all the healing agents.
- Real sage shines with essential oils like borneol and thujone, tannins and saponosides.
- It promotes digestion, drives bile, has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effects, dissolves mucus and cough, numbs pain.
- Sage lowers the blood sugar level, slows the sweat flow, helps against asthma and lower abdominal disorders, and helps against sore throats and hoarseness.
- You should use sage sparingly, as the high concentration of essential oils can cause poisoning and nervous system disorders.
- Gelled sage tea is a remedy for bleeding gums, externally applied to redness, rash and ulcers, as well as to bad breath. To promote digestion, we drink the tea.
contents
- drugs
- applications
- Side effects and risks
- A plant with history
- Salvia officinalis - description
- Origin of the classic Salvia
- Clary
- "Old" sage - "new" chia?
- Ritual cleaning
- Grow sage
- maintenance
- Sage dry
drugs
Sage species contain terpenes, in their glands sit essential oils, in the resins diterpenes. These include diterpene bitters such as Carnosol, Pokirosalvin, Rosmanol, Safficinolide and Salvin. The leaves contain triterpenes. The genuine sage and other species with an intense taste have borneol, thujone, bornyl ester, linalool, camphene, limonene and camphor. There are also tannins, saponosides and choline. That's a lot, but not everything. Flavonoids and tannins such as rosmarinic acid are more abundant in the leaves.
Sage (Salvia officinalis) was already known in ancient times for its healing properties and was z. B. used against respiratory diseases. (Image: Scisetti Alfio / fotolia.com) applications
Since antiquity, sage has been used primarily for three types of ailments: first, respiratory diseases, secondly oral and pharyngeal disorders, and third, sweat flow.
Less effective but effective are tinctures of acne, acne, eczema, wound irrigation, or minor ulcers. Here we apply the fluid on the affected areas, with envelopes or pure.
dental care
Sage and mint replaced toothpaste with our ancestors. They take a sage leaf and rub their teeth as well as the gums. Not only do they provide a pleasant smell, they also combat viruses, bacteria and fungi. The blade acts like a brush, removing plaque and dirt. You can also use a leaf stalk such as a toothpick and scratch food leftovers.
The Lamiaceen tannins contract the mucous membranes in the throat. This makes viruses and bacteria less able to penetrate, and smaller wounds occlude. An inflamed oral mucosa calms down.
sage
For a sage tea, pour 1 g of leaves with 100 ml of hot water, let it draw for ten minutes, and then drain. Since true sage tastes tart, you can add honey and lemon juice. Drinking tea helps digestion, soothes sore throat and hoarseness, and boosts overall infectious disease. Drinking this tea also helps against asthma and cough.
Sage tea promotes digestion, soothes sore throat and hoarseness, and helps with asthma and coughing. (Image: oxie99 / fotolia.com) sage syrup
In the Middle Ages, a syrup of sage, honey and apple cider vinegar was the most popular medicine ever. People took this syrup with water diluted against infections in throat and throat, as well as for coughs and colds, later even to treat tuberculosis. This was not superstition, but one of the real effective means. For such a syrup, add freshly cut or dried sage leaves in cider vinegar at a ratio of 1 to 10 and add honey until it tastes less bitter.
Oil, perfume and compost
You just get the tea from the fresh or dried leaves. The above-ground parts of the plant contain the valuable sage oil. This flavored ice creams, sweets or drinks. It also plays a role in perfumes and hair shampoos.
The plant parts, which hobby gardeners often have in abundance, are an excellent compost because they promote the bacteria that transform plants into humus.
Incense
In the past, people used their dried and burnt sage to smoke their houses out to evict demons - a smoke that helps realistically against insects. In North America, "sage" is the most important plant in rituals of the American Natives and a teacher plant of shamans. Again, this is not pure ghost faith. Sage is effective against bacteria and viruses, making it an excellent way to clean smoke-filled interiors from these pests.
Steam bath with sage
If you have a cold, a steam room with sage helps. On the one hand, the bath supports the blood circulation of the mucous membranes, which slows down the multiplication of viruses, on the other hand, the substances of sage work directly against the pathogens. Put a few drops of sage oil in a bowl and add up to three liters of water. Now put a cloth over your shoulders, bend your head over the steam in such a way that no vapors escape. Take a deep breath until the water gets cold after about ten minutes.
A steam bath supports the blood circulation of the mucous membranes and thus inhibits the multiplication of viruses, on the other hand, the substances of sage work directly against the pathogens. (Image: closeupimages / fotolia.com) Real sage as a spice
Even among the Greeks and Romans, sage was not only a remedy but also spice or both at the same time. In fact, the boundaries are fluid: since sage promotes digestion, it is not only useful as a remedy for upset stomach, but also prevents it when you use it as a seasoning to fat meats like sheep or pork. Sage also goes very well with stews of beans and bacon, peas and smoked meats, and anything with a taste of sausage. It also serves as a classic spice in the production of coarse bratwurst, especially Italian sausage recipes are based on pork shoulder, pork fat and sage. What many consider a "typical sausage taste" is actually sage flavor. Even vegans who miss the "sausage taste", so can fall back on sage. Fresh young leaves and flowers are also found in salads. Try it, but the intense taste is not everyone.
Side effects and risks
Never use sage oil undiluted. This irritates the mucous membranes. To gargle, just pour a few drops of oil into a glass of water. Sage for healing purposes should only be used as long as necessary. The sage present in the sage leads to poisoning in large doses. You should not take sage, at least in higher doses, if you are pregnant or nursing a baby. Even toddlers should abstain from sage. Generally, infants should not come into contact with the mouth and nose with essential oils.
A plant with history
Sage is one of the oldest proven medicinal plants. Greek students of philosophy chewed sage to open their minds. In Greece, the scent of sage was considered thanks to the beauty goddess Aphrodite. This allegedly took refuge from Zeus under an ointment bush. Zeus wanted to burn the sage with the sun, but the goddess protected the plant with her white-white leaves, which she still carries today.
In the first century we owe Pliny the word salviam, which means healthy, perfect or wholesome. The Romans also brought the sage over the Alps, and Charlemagne called for it to be planted. In the High Middle Ages, he belonged to every monastery garden. The medical university in Salerno even wrote: "Why should a man die when sage grows in his garden?"
Sage in the myth
The real healing powers of sage also inspired superstition. For example, some Frenchmen and Englishmen believed that sage could make them immortal - with the right mantra of course.
Sage was considered the plant of the mother of Jesus Mary and allegedly hiding Jesus family fleeing behind a sage sage.
Witches should be helped by a sage tuft on the doorstep. This also protected from weather catastrophes, from the evil eye and thoughts the devil implanted. In the church, visitors saved a little sack of sage from falling asleep during the sermon, thus causing guilt. If you place a sage in the dung heap, you should make a worm and a bird out of it, and women who gave witches sage soup should give birth to toads afterwards.
Salvia officinalis - description
Real sage is a subshrub. It smells intensely, the stems reach up to 1 m in length, lignify over the soil and form a cork layer on the bark. In the upper part of the stalk and white felt weeds covered him.
The leaves grow opposite in narrow lancets. They are greyish green in color. The upper leaf axils form violet flowers, which are two-leaved in the Labiatae. Salvia officinalis flowers between May and July.
The flowers consist of innumerable three- to vierblütigen whorls with tubular glands, which end in the two lips, of which the upper divides into three teeth, the lower lip, however, in two. The purple crown has a simple upper lip with a three-part lower lip. At the bottom of the calyx, four brown-black fruits develop.
Sage (Salvia officinalis) flowers between May and July. Fresh young leaves and flowers can even be found in salads. (Image: Sergii Mostovyi / fotolia.com) Origin of the classic Salvia
Genuine sage originally came from southern Europe, but was already spread by the Romans in ancient times in Central Europe. As a Mediterranean plant, he loves dry soils and lots of sun, but adapts so well that he soon covered the whole area with sufficient sun. In gardens, you should therefore think carefully about where to place the sage - in an herb bed, he quickly displaces less dominant culinary herbs such as dill.
A great relationship
The true sage is not the only one of its kind that we use in this country. For example, Salvia fruticosa, the Greek sage, provides most of the dried sage leaves we buy and make tea or spice. His oil stretches the more expensive lavender oil.
Clary
As a kitchen spice even more popular than the genuine sage with its unique as well as strict aroma is the Muskateller sage (Salvia sclarea). Wild it also occurs in the Mediterranean, but is easy to propagate in German gardens. Medically, it looks similar to the true sage and can be used as well.
However, Muscat Sage is of particular importance in the food industry. Its name comes from the fact that the taste of Muscatel grapes reminds. That's why he finds himself in alcoholics such as beers, liqueurs and wines, but also in cocktails, bowling and juices. He also reinforces the effect of the alcohol. For salads and other raw food, its fruity aroma is better than that of the genuine sage. On the Mediterranean, its deep-fried leaves are typical tapas or antipasti.
In the Middle Ages he was as much a medicinal plant as the true sage, his oil was considered conducive to artists and should open the mind. The oil smells of amber and is therefore popular for soaps, shampoos and deodorants - for deodorants also because this sage also slows down the sweat flow. In body creams with Salvia sclarea the aroma of the grapes combines with the effect against bacteria and inflammation. That's why muscatel sage is in great demand in the cosmetics industry. The Clary Oil dissolves cramps and relaxes the skin and muscles. Women used to take menstruation complaints. The oil promotes blood circulation and makes it euphoric. That's why it's considered an aphrodisiac.
Psychologically, the oil should stimulate the imagination, prevent nightmares and bring beautiful dreams, fears and depressions (historically referred to as melancholy) alleviate, reduce stress and bring back joie de vivre.
Clary sage was also used for headache, irritable bowel syndrome, asthma, spasms and migraine.
"Old" sage - "new" chia?
Chia seeds are a pop star among "newly discovered" superfoods. As so often, the new is not new at all - Chia is the Spanish-Mexican word for sage. The Chia seeds, Chiamehlen or Chiadrinks are therefore products of American sage species.
The chunks of California sage (Salvia columbariae) can be eaten raw, fried, cooked or baked. In the southwest of America they are mostly processed into flour. From this dark breads can be made - similar to the here distributed Chiabrötchen. This bread is healthy because it contains a lot of niacin, thiamine, zinc, calcium and manganese.
California chia sprouts are popular in salads and burgers in the US. A drink from the soaked germs quenches the thirst in the heat of the southwest. The Mexican sage (Salvia hispanica) can be used as well as the California. The Aztec sage of Mexico (Salvia divinorum), however, is hallucinogenic, which explains its reputation as a magical plant.
Chia seeds - here as a pudding with berries - can be eaten raw, fried, cooked or baked. (Image: beats_ / fotolia.com) Ritual cleaning
Central importance among the American Natives has called the white sage (Salvia apiana), also Indian smoked sage. The Natives eat its shoot tips raw and so absorb a lot of minerals. Traditionally, they washed their hair with their water-cut leaves, protecting the scalp from stinging insects, fleas, lice and mites. The fresh leaves also used them as DEO. The dried leaves still burn natives in all forms of ritual cleansing, and also quite handy for disinfecting houses when diseases are rampant or pests have spread.
Grow sage
If you want to grow sage yourself, avoid over-fertilization. Garden compost is perfect, and even that is not necessary. Sage comes from the Mediterranean and thrives on meager soils. If you fertilize too much, the plant does not bloom.
The cultivation is very simple. Although sage generally prefers calcareous soils, even gardeners with a slightly acidic soil can scarcely contain growth. On an open bed even a root barrier is recommended, so that Salvia officinalis does not sell the weaker competition.
Make sure that sage is warm and sunny. Loosen the soil and prevent waterlogging. Salvia does not belong in a swamp bed.
Despite its dominance, sage has a positive effect on neighboring herbs: it effectively stops caterpillars, lice and snails. That's why, when held in check, it's great for framing beds. Sage itself is less susceptible to pests. The only dangers are spider mites and powdery mildew. Sage also grows in pots, pots or boxes, on the balcony and the windowsill. He is hardy and can withstand extreme temperatures.
After flowering, the taste decreases and the leaves are less green. Therefore, harvest at the beginning of flowering or remove the flowers.
maintenance
Care means cutting back the not yet woody shoots in spring; If you cut the wood, you endanger the plant. One cut per year is enough. You can combine this nozzle with the harvest. They do not pick individual leaves, but cut the stems as well.
Sage dry
They bind the branches with a gum, wire or string to a bouquet and hang it upside down in a dry place in the loft or pantry. The bouquets release their fragrance into the room - a good side effect. You can use the dried leaves for smoking, boil them as tea, or season meat and salads. (Dr. Utz Anhalt)