Supplement
Sage is a culinary herb whose leaves hold plant compounds such as rosmarinic acid, carnosic acid and carnosol, which show antioxidant activity in lab work. People mostly look at it for menopausal hot flashes, and several human studies found that sage extract made them less frequent and less intense, though the evidence is limited to moderate. Those studies were small, and the memory findings, which suggested modest gains in memory and attention, come from small, short studies too.
Sources: PMID 21716802
- Updated
- How we grade
- 3 studies cited
- Best evidence
- Grade B
- Conditions studied
- 2
- Outcomes
- 4
- Graded outcomes
- 0112
Evidence by condition
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
General
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Menopausal Hot Flashes Several human studies consistently show sage extract reduces hot flash frequency and intensity in menopausal women. Mechanism may involve mild estrogenic activity or direct effects on thermoregulation. | Changes; see studies | Moderate effect | 200 people | |||
| Blood Glucose Limited human data suggests sage may modestly reduce blood glucose levels, but evidence is inconsistent across studies. Mechanism is not well established. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 80 people |
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cognitive Function Small acute human studies suggest sage extract modestly improves memory and attention, likely via cholinesterase inhibition. Related species S. lavandulaefolia may have stronger cognitive evidence; a review of plant extracts highlights sage among candidates for Alzheimer's disease intervention. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Small effect | 1 study | 120 people | ||
Studies that measured cognitive function | ||||||
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antioxidant Status Preclinical research demonstrates significant antioxidant potential across lipophilic and hydrophilic fractions of Salvia officinalis. Contains rosmarinic acid, carnosic acid, and carnosol, but human clinical data on antioxidant outcomes is lacking. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Small effect | 2 studies | |||
Studies that measured antioxidant status
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Key findings
- Menopausal Hot FlashesChanges; see studies
- Cognitive FunctionImproves (the measure goes up)
- Antioxidant StatusImproves (the measure goes up)
Shop the evidence-backed picks
Third-party tested Sage products, in the forms the graded studies used where we can match them.
- Grade B
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Studies cited
3 studies from PubMed
- SmERF6 promotes the expression of terpenoid pathway in Salvia officinalis and improves the production of high-value abietane diterpenes, carnosol and carnosic acid.
- Comprehensive Evaluation of Antioxidant Potential of 10 Salvia Species Using High Pressure Methods for the Isolation of Lipophilic and Hydrophilic Plant Fractions.
- Effect of plant extracts on Alzheimer's disease: An insight into therapeutic avenues.