Zsálya - felhasználása, egészségügyi előnyei és mellékhatásai

Description of sage – Salvia officinalis

Old or other familiar names: medical sage, garden sage, apothecary sage, apothecary sage, cock’s-foot sage, sage, noble sage.

It has a very strong aroma and should be used sparingly in the kitchen, other spices are not really suitable. It is an herb for fatty dishes, duck, poultry, game, lamb, herring, salads, sauces, cottage cheese, potatoes, pasta or omelettes. It has a slightly camphor-like aroma and a slightly bitter taste.

Its flowers and leaves are also edible, antispasmodic, antibacterial/antiseptic, antidepressant, anticoagulant, aids digestion, reduces flatulence, hormone-regulating.

It is an old herb in folk medicine, used for mouth and throat infections/throat ache, profuse sweating, fever. Externally it has been used to treat abrasions, minor cuts and infected wounds.

Cultivation and collection are not difficult.

Read the article:

Occurrence
Active ingredient
Collection and drying
Cultivation
Processing
Tea and its medicinal properties
Uses
Varieties

Ajakosak – Lamiaceae

The sage is a low, fragrant shrub growing up to half a metre in height. Rectangular stems with stalked leaves, oblong-ovate, pointed, with serrated edges. The leaves are characterised by the veins prominent on the underside and the leaves are covered with dense velvety hairs. The dark blue flowers are labellate. In ancient times it was considered the ‘herb of immortality’ and was used as one of the most versatile plants. Greeks and Romans used it to preserve meat, but it was also used in medicine. It was used for snakebites, epilepsy, intestinal worms, and as a diuretic and menstrual stimulant.

The taxonomic name salvia comes from the Latin salvere, meaning ‘to be well’. Formerly salvia salvatrix, meaning “saving sage” – (thought to prolong life). In medieval times, sage leaves were placed on hot coals in an uncovered pan and burnt in a room where they had previously been ill (to purify the air in the room). North American Indians made incense from white sage, which was used in cleansing rituals; if white sage was not available, medicinal sage was used instead. The Romans used rituals to harvest the plant and knew that the iron salts would react chemically with the sage, so they did not use a steel knife to cut it up. Garden hyssop, also known as the ‘biblical disinfectant’, was also used for ritual purification, to cleanse holy places or, because of its red colour, peony was used as incense powder, one of the oldest ornamental and medicinal plants.

in 1688, a 414-page book was published in Europe on sage alone.

Protected by the Virgin Mary, it is said to have saved the mother who was hiding with the baby Jesus, hiding her from the soldiers. As a reward, it carries divine healing powers.

Occurrence:

It is native to the Mediterranean (Dalmatian coast, Montenegro and Herzegovina, in the calcareous, karstic mountains of Montenegro and Herzegovina). Its native habitat is the Balkan Peninsula. Medical sage does not occur in the wild, but other sage species are found. The cultivation of medical sage is now developing in our country. (1906)

Part to be collected:

The leaves are collected before flowering in the summer months, from June to the end of August.(Calendar of collection of medicinal plants)

Active constituents:

The valuable active ingredient of medicinal sage is its volatile oil, which is mainly accumulated in its leaves up to 1.5-2%. The essential oil is composed of apinene, salvin, borneol 8-14%, camphor and cineol (eucalyptol) 15%, mono- and sesquiterpenes, lamiaceae tannins e.g. rosmarinic acid, carnosol, (abietane type diterpenes), triterpenes e.g. ursolic acid, phenolic glycosides, flavonoids, catechinic acid, bitter substances, acid glycosides, resins, fumaric acid, linoleic acid, borneol, thujone 30-50 %, alpha and beta thujone, pinene, oleanedoleic acid, oxytriterpenic acid, chlorogenic acid, phytoncida, wax, nicotinamide, nicotinic acid, caffeic acid.

(Flavonoids, rosmarinic acid, diterpenes have antioxidant effects, e.g. to prevent tooth decay.)

Harvesting and drying:

The leaves, collected just before flowering, are dried in a shady, airy place in a thin layer at ordinary temperatures. A maximum temperature of 40 degrees Celsius is recommended.

Cultivation:

The most practical method of propagation is seedling from seed. The seeds are sown in the spring months for seedling production and the mature seedlings are planted out in the autumn or spring at a row spacing of 30-50 cm. The transplanted plants are covered in winter because they are sensitive to extreme cold. Sage can also be propagated by cutting or green cuttings. The seed requirement is 300 – 400 grams per acre. Production yield per acre is 8-10 q (mazsa) of dry leaves.

When possible, sow alongside carrots and brassicas. Sage discourages beet flies and cabbage moths, but attracts bees.

In pots, it can be grown with rosemary and will grow well together. In the spring, dead branches should be cut back and pruned, and in the summer it is worth pruning back the top shoots so that they bush out rather than reach for the sky. Branches broken off by snow should also be cut back and soon re-grown.

Shoots cut in autumn or early summer will root easily. By the third or fourth year it is usually too tall, so it is worth rejuvenating the bushes. The easiest way to rejuvenate is to cover with mulch or light compost in the autumn, which should then be removed in the spring. The bush should be dug up, you will notice the root system of new branches, which should be picked up and replanted.

Young plants that have germinated from seed are very water-hungry in their initial development stage, prefer sunny areas and chalky, medium-textured soil. They are not suitable for growing in cold, clayey, deep, quicksand areas.

In the year after planting, when they reach a height of 15-20 cm, the shoots are cut back to 8-10 cm to allow more vigorous branching.

Processing and marketing:

Sage leaves are used for essential oil production. The oleum salviae produced from it is a greenish-yellow liquid with a characteristic odour and is used extensively in medicine. However, sage leaves themselves are also used in folk medicine and cosmetics.Salvia officinalis L. is not to be confused with Salvia sclarea, scarlet or musk sage, the mother plant of which is also of the family of the lipwort, and the flowers are of a similar blue colour.

It is used as a honey plant and is only occasionally used in medicine. Monks have observed that the honey of bees foraging exclusively on sage flowers is beneficial to the body in itself. 4kg of fresh leaves yields 1kg of dry goods, dried sage has a camphoraceous smell.

Dried leaves can be used for up to a year in an airtight container, fresh leaves can be used for 4-5 days in the fridge.

Sage tea, extracts have medicinal side effects:

Cough suppressant, against flatulence caused by stomach and intestinal gas, to remove mucous secretions from the stomach, bronchi and lungs. For night sweats, an excellent remedy (especially during menopause) is to drink a cup of sage tea (a mother’s milk and antiperspirant, usually astringent) before bedtime. Its decoction, used for gargling and mouthwashing, quickly relieves throat and mouth inflammation, pains and ulcers.

Its antipyretic properties have been observed in guinea pigs, its estrogenic effects in mice, its central nervous system inhibitory and anticonvulsant effects in goldfish and mice. It has also been shown to induce vitamin E activity in mice, lower blood pressure in cats and dogs and vasodilatation in rabbits. Anti-viral, anti-amoeba, anti-fungal effects in breeding/chemical tube experiments have demonstrated antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory properties. These medicinal effects are very similar to the antiviral and antifungal effects of thyme.

In the past, it was given to people suffering from tuberculosis or vegetative dysregulation due to its antiperspirant effects. Both to reduce milk secretion and to facilitate weaning. (Estrogenic effects have long been known, but are unclear)

More recent clinical observations have shown that sage leaf extract in Alzheimer’s disease patients produced significant improvements in cognitive function after 4 months. It is considered to be one of the plants with brain and memory effects.

In dieters, it should be consumed after eating and may thus promote weight loss. However, consumption on an empty stomach may cause eye irritation. Its aqueous extract can be taken cold.

It lowers cholesterol levels, clears deposits in the vascular walls and therefore also reduces and prevents the development of high blood pressure. It can raise it if consumed in excess. It also cleanses the liver through the blood, regenerating it from accumulated toxins. By cleansing the liver, bile production is also activated, and stagnant, underactive bile is “rejuvenated” and becomes effective.

Diabetics should be very careful when consuming it, as it has a blood sugar lowering effect! Stimulates pancreatic function!

A close relative of sclarea (s. sclarea), which has similar properties to medicinal sage, but its essential oil does not seem to have any toxic effects. And the essential oil of lavender-leaved sage (S. lavandulifolia) contains no ketones.

Used externally:

It is used to make a sitz bath for hemorrhoids, as a rinse/scrub for throat and inflammatory body parts (aphthae, gingivitis, tonsillitis), for leg ulcers of varicose origin, eczema, burns and psoriasis. Useful as a poultice for typhoid, scarlet fever, measles, smallpox.

Massaged into the scalp to combat dandruff and hair loss, it is beneficial for acne-prone skin due to its sebum-regulating action.

Advice: do not cook herbs in aluminium pots!

Use in gastronomy:

Also used in Italian, Middle Eastern dishes, dried and fresh leaves for risotto, pork, venison, duck, poultry, salad (spicy, horseradish-like flavour), oily fish, potatoes, carrots, beans, aubergines, pumpkin, mushrooms, liver, tomato sauces. Serve as a side dish, with cold meat pies, cooked meats, cheeses, pâtés, pasta, onions, seasoning delicious/picy jellies.

Using it as a spice requires caution, taking care not to overpower other flavours. Can also be consumed as a refreshing drink/tea. Crushed sage leaves fried with melted butter on lamb shanks are an excellent seasoning. It makes an excellent Genoa sauce for salmon and turkey, and is an important base spice for roast duck.

Some varieties are also used in candied sweets, jellies, to flavour juices/lemonades and tonics, and in breads. It is an ingredient in spice mixtures and flavourings.

It was also an ingredient in ‘The Vinegar of the Four Thieves’ and in Swede’s Drops.

Varieties of medicinal sage:

There are more than 900 varieties of sage, with different leaf shapes, colours and scents, e.g. variegated, burgundy, striped, pineapple-scented, Spanish, Greek, Aztec, mandarin, berggarten, albiflora, aurea, icterina, kew gold, etc. One species is a sacred plant of the Incas, another is a magic plant of the Mexican Indians. It is called the ‘flower of the seers’ because of its sensitising substances. It is believed to help us peer into the supernatural world.

• Mild yarrow medicinal sage
• Round-leaved medicinal sage
• White flowered medical sage
• Tricolor medical sage

Not recommended for breastfeeding, pregnant women and people with low blood pressure! Undiluted form is dangerous to the foetus and young children! Internal use of its essential oil is forbidden! High levels of thujone (neurotoxin) may cause poisoning symptoms – rapid heartbeat, dizziness, epileptic seizures, fever. Prolonged/excessive consumption of tea can lead to accumulation of toxins in the body!

“He who wants to live forever must eat sage in May”, Arab proverb

“Serves the doctor, the cook, the kitchen and the cellar, the poor and the rich”, (German herbalist, c. 1550)

Source:

Dr. Ferenc Darvas and Dr Gyula Magyary-Kossa,Domestic herbs, their production, marketing, effects and medicinal uses
Alexandra, Handbook of Spices, ISBN:978 963 297 917 5
Alexandra, Handbook of herbs, ISBN:978 963 297 946 5
Alexandra, Treasury of herbs, ISBN:978 963 357 507 9
Andreas Wacker, Herbs in Homeopathy, ISBN:978 963 7268 71 7
Barbara and Peter Theiss, Forests, fields, apothecary, ISBN:963 85035 0 5
Beh Mariann, The Garden Kitchen, ISBN:978 615 5417 41 2
Jenő Bernáth, Medicinal and aromatic plants, ISBN:963 286 258 9
Bernáth Jenő-Németh Éva, Collection, cultivation and use of medicinal and aromatic plants ISBN:978 963 286 493 8
János Boruzs, Useful advice on domestic herbs, ISBN:963 9246 18 228
Caroline Holmes, Garden Herbs, ISBN:978 963 09 8272 6
Dr. István Isépy, Medicinal plants, ISBN:963 11 6369 5
Dr. Michael A. Weiner, Herbal Bible, ISBN: 963 7495 29
Dr. János Zelenyák, The effects and use of medicinal plants
Dr.Kolos Ede-Kolosné Pethes Edit, Our domestic medicinal plants
Dr.Andor Oláh, Biopharmaceuticals for healing plants, ISBN:963 232 073 5
Earl Mindell, The bible of medicinal herbs, ISBN:963 7495 77 0
Bertalan Galambosi, 88 colour pages on herbs and medicinal plants, ISBN:963 231 455 7
Medicinal plants – Jethro Kloss, ISBN:978-963-689-351-134
Home Herb Book – Vicky Chown&Kim Walker, ISBN:978-963-433-225-62
Herbarium – Dr.Sándor Kmeth, ISBN:-978-615-80075-2-118
Lajos Inczefi, Our herbs and spices, ISBN:963 231 974 5
Ingrid and Peter Schönfelder, Herbalist, ISBN:963 684 124 1
Járainé-Regéczy, Herbs, ISBN:963 11 2125 9
Kim Hurst, Treasures of Nature, Herbs, ISBN:978 963 248 253 8
Ladocsi Teréz, Guide to Herbs, ISBN:963 234 454 5
Lesley Bremnes, Spices and Herbs, ISBN:963 545 041 9
Michael Castleman, Herbal Encyclopaedia, ISBN: 963 583 051 101
Jenő Rápóti-Vilmos Romváry, Medicinal plants, ISBN:963 241 190 0
Reader’s Digest, Nature’s herb garden, ISBN:978 963 9562 01 1
Reader’s Digest, The Big Book of Spices and Herbs, ISBN:978 963 289 055 5
Vilmos Romváry, Book of Spices, ISBN:963 9268 63 1
Aladár Béla Varró, Production, collection and use of Hungarian spice plants, ISBN:963 9125 45 8
Wikipedia