Sage
The name of the genus (Salvia) comes from the Latin "salvus" (= to save, safe, well, healthy) an ancient name for this group of plants with presumed medicinal properties. The name of the species (officinalis) indicates a plant with real medicinal properties or suppositories.
Sage (Salvia officinalis) is a plant of the Laminaceae family. Native to European areas with a temperate climate, it is one of the most famous aromatic plants.
Sage is particularly known for its diuretic, anti-inflammatory, balsamic, digestive and expectorant properties. It offers a good answer against water retention, edema, rheumatism and migraines and is also indicated in gingivitis and abscesses. It is a "deterrent" of diabetes and accelerates the healing process after an injury.
Sage contains essential oil, rich in alpha and beta thujone, alpha and beta pinene, linalyl acetate, cineol, borneol, bornyl acetate, camphor, ursolic acid, oleanolic acid, saponosides, fumaric acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, rosmarinic, glyceric acid, salvine, enzymes, peroxidase, oxidoreductase, vitamin B1 and C, resins and estrogenic substances.
Sage leaves are used in cooking fresh or dried to flavor foods. In fact, it is used, often in combination with rosemary, to flavor meats and roasts; typical its use in the filling of chickens and turkeys; it is also used to flavor cheeses, butter, vegetables, soups, focaccia etc.; it is not necessary to use large doses because it is very aromatic and you would risk overpowering the taste of food.
Did you know that...
Many toothpastes are based on sage; in the absence of the prepared product you can simply rub your teeth with a fresh leaf to achieve a whitening effect.