| W e s t e r n H e r b a l M e d i c i n e studies - services - clinical approaches |
|
Studies
Publications
|
Sage
Salvia columbariae Chia
Salvia lemmoni (Salvia microphylla var. wislizeni) Little leaf sage
Salvia apiana White sage
Salvia carnosa (Salvia dorrii) Purple sage, Desert sage
Salvia mohavensis Mojave sage
Salvia clevelandii Cleveland sage, Chaparral sage
Labiatae – Mint family
Description All Salvias have square stems, opposite leaves, and to varying degrees are aromatic. The flowers form in whorls around the upper stems, but also, depending on variety, develop interrupted spikes. Each calyx and corolla is 2-lipped. The flowers are generally tubular.
Salvia columbariae is a small annual that responds to winter-spring rains. The plant’s basal leaves are 1-4 inches long, pinnatifid, toothed, and felty. The blue flowers form in whorls around the upper flower stems. The stiff calyxes are somewhat spiny. S. apiana is a 3-5 foot tall perennial. The petioled leaves are oblanceolate and 1-3½ inches long. The leaves and upper stems are made silvery-white by a covering of appressed hairs. The whorled flower clusters develop on the upper stem sections. They are white or speckled with lavender. S. carnosa is a highly variable species with many varieties exhibiting leaf and flower differences. This small shrub is less than 3 feet high. The leaves are spatula shaped, linear, or obovate. They are covered with a fine layer of appressed hairs making their appearance silvery. The whorled flowers form on upper branch stems and are blue.
Salvia mohavensis is a small, many-branched shrub generally 3 feet tall. Leaf blades are oblanceolate or deltoid, green, and covered with short leaf hairs. The whorled flowers are pale blue or lavender. S. clevelandii is also about 3 feet in height. The leaves are ½-1½ inches long, oblong, and coated with a grayish pubescence. Flowers are blue-lavender. The whole plant is extremely fragrant. S. lemmoni is 3 feet tall by the same wide. The plant’s leaves are green, ovate, and when young, sticky with leaf oils. Flowers are typically crimson-pink in color.
Distribution From 4,000 feet and below Salvia columbariae is common in sandy washes, drainages, and disturbed areas. It ranges from southern California to southern Nevada, Utah, and Arizona. S. apiana is found in California from coastal ranges in Santa Barbara and San Diego Counties, east to the desert’s edge, and south. Look to dry slopes in Chaparral Scrub areas. From Washington to Arizona, S. carnosa is extensively distributed throughout the desert west. Look to Juniper-Pinyon Woodlands and Sagebrush Deserts.
Salvia mohavensis is found from 1,000-5,000 feet in desert regions of southern Nevada, southeast California, and western Arizona. Look to dry rocky slopes and canyon walls. S. clevelandii is found on dry slopes, below 3,000 feet in Chaparral Scrub areas, and coastal mountains of southern California. S. lemmoni ranges in southern Arizona. Look for it throughout Pima and Cochise Counties. This high elevation Sage can be found on mountainsides and rocky slopes from 6,000-8,000 feet. It has a limited distribution, but is locally abundant.
Chemistry Volatile oil content for Salvia columbariae (others are similar): a-pinene, camphene, b-pinene, myrcene, a-phellandrene and b-phellandrene, 3-carene, p-cymene, 1,8-cineole, limonene, cisocimene, transocimene, g-terpinene, terpinolene, linalol, camphor, borneol, 4-terpineol, a-terpineol, bornylacetate, b-caryophyllene, g-cadinene, a-cadinene, and farnesol; diterpenes: carnosic acid, carnosol, rosmanol, epirosmanol, isorosmanol, salvicanol, and rosmadial
Medicinal Uses Salvia’s medicinal potency is greatly dependent upon its strong aromatic smell. Like most other Mint family plants, the stronger the smell, the stronger the medicine. If there is a fever, the skin is hot and dry, and there is a strong determination of blood a hot cup of Sage tea is diaphoretic. The room temperature tea or tincture curbs colliquative sweating, particularly when body temperature is low to normal, the skin is soft and relaxed, and the extremities are cool. Internally Sage is decidedly carminative. It is useful taken as a spasmolytic for gas pains and flatulence. Its dilatory nature moves blood, hence activity to the stomach walls.
Applied externally Sage is strongly antiinflammatory and antioxidant. It is efficacious in relieving pain and redness from burns and other injuries. Its use rivals Lavender in these conditions. The steam can be inhaled from a cup or pot of hot tea for Strep throat. This process concentrates the antimicrobial aromatics to the back of the throat where most of the bacterial colonization takes place. This done for five minutes three times a day, along with internal immune stimulating herbs such as Baptisia, Echinacea, or Bursera, combined with rest, is a useful plan.
Several different varieties of Sage have been used in English herbal medicine for memory loss, forgetfulness, and to “strengthen the brain”. Lately it has been discovered that the essential oil of several varieties of Sage, namely Salvia lavandulaefolia, inhibits AchE (acetylcholinesterase) in cholinergic neuronal synapses of the brain. This has promise in diminishing the dementia and cognition loss of alzheimer’s. Even in non-alzheimer’s study subjects improved attention and recall has been shown. Apparently, Sage blocks AchE from breaking down acetylcholine into inactive choline and acetate, therefore keeping the compound in the synapse longer. This then improves brain nerve transmission. AchE inhibition through pharmaceuticals is the primary conventional treatment for alzheimer’s. The plant’s monoterpene content, which is largely responsible for this effect acts strongest as a whole complex. The plant’s aromatics are much less potent taken out of context and used in an isolative fashion, even if recombined to mimic the plant’s natural essential oil ratios. This is not a new phenomenon. Most plants work best as whole herbal medicines, not standardized extracts.
For ages, Salvia officinalis has been used to decrease milk production in mothers needing to wean their children. Other varieties may be as useful.
Indications Fever, dry, moderate temperature Colliquative sweating Burns (external) GI tract gas and spasm Strep throat/sore throat Memory loss/poor cognition Alzheimer’s To lessen breast milk
Collection Gathering Sage is always a pleasant experience due to the plant’s characteristic smell. Collect the leaves and flowering parts only, as these have the greatest concentration of aromatics. Without distillation/extraction equipment Sage essential oil can not be procured. It is best purchased.
Preparations For internal use of Sage essential oil use 1 part essential oil to 1 part olive oil, so for every 10 drops of Sage essential oil, 10 drops of olive oil is used. Mix together and in each capsule put 4 drops of combined oil. Use this same mixture topically. If it is agreeable, try applying undiluted for a stronger effect.
Dosage Herb infusion: 4-8 ounces 3 times daily FPT/DPT (50% alcohol): 30-60 drops 3 times daily Steam inhalation: 3 times daily Capsules of essential oil: 1 capsule 3 times daily Essential oil: topically as needed
Cautions Do not use the essential oil during pregnancy or while nursing.
Other Uses Use as a seasoning. Southwestern Sages, particularly Salvia apiana are used extensively ceremonially, ironically more so now by Whites than by the American Indian originators of the tradition. |