Sage Essential Oil

Besides having a wonderful earthy, woodsy fragrance, sage essential oil has now been shown to improve memory, according to a recent study by British scientists.(www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/09/02/Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behaviour 75 (2003) 669-674.)

A clinical study using sage oil showed a significant increase in word recall by a majority of the participants.

According to John Gerard, the herbalist who wrote about sage in 1597, sage "is singularly good for the head and brain and quickeneth the nerves and memory." Also referencing sage, the famous herbalist Nicholas Culpeper states that, "it heals the memory, warming and quickening the senses."

Perhaps this is why for centuries people have taken sage tea as a remedy for memory loss.

The study took the results from 44 people aged 18-37, some given sage oil, and some given a placebo. A word recall test was then administered, and the results were that the volunteers who used sage oil performed consistently better than those using a placebo.

Other interesting studies performed on sage include it's potential as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease. Sage was found to inhibit an enzyme called acetycholinsterase (AChE) responsible for breaking down acetycholine. A common side-effect of Alzheimer's is an acetycholine deficiency, which sage might be able to prevent.