Sage, its nutritional composition, important plant compounds, antioxidant activity, anti-inflammatory activity, anti-carcinogenic activity, antimicrobial activity, hypolipidemic activity, hypoglycemic activity and effective role on brain
Description : Sage is an important herb belongs to mint family and it is very popular for its characteristic
Article Details :
Sage is an important herb belongs to mint family and it is very popular for its characteristic flavour. It has been extensively used for various therapeutic purposes.
Nutritional profile
- It contains very less amount of carbohydrate
- It contains lesser amount of fibre as well
- It contains negligible amount of protein as well fat
- It provides very little calories on its oxidation due to its poor carbohydrate and fat contents thus it is considered as a low calorie food
- Whereas it is packed with various important micronutrients like Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, B9, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, iron, manganese and magnesium
- It contains various important plant compounds as well like borneol, bornyl acetate, 1,8-cineole, camphene, camphor, rutin, ellagic acid, caffeic acid etc that exert several nutraceutical activities
Biological activity
Antioxidant activity
- Sage is loaded with numerous polyphenols that exert potent antioxidant activities. It contains caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, rutin, rosmarinic acid, and ellagic acid which also exhibit antioxidant activities
- It helps to decrease the concentration of free radicals in body thus decreases oxidative stress as a result lowers the risk of developing chronic diseases
- It helps to spare various important organic substances of body from oxidation
- It helps to promote cellular functions by inhibiting cellular damage
Anti-inflammatory activity
- It helps to prevent inflammation by delaying the onset of inflammatory events
- It is very effective for preventing the inflammation of gingival fibroblasts, which are the common cells present in the connective tissue of gum. Its consumption is thus considered as an imperative way for protecting the oral cavity from inflammatory damages
Anti-carcinogenic activity
- It helps to suppress the growth of malignant cells in body and also helps to stimulate malignant cell death thus helps to decrease the susceptibility of carcinoma
- It has seen that consumption of sage or its extract is extremely effective for decreasing the prevalence of colon, breast, oral, cervix, liver, kidney and skin cancer
Antimicrobial activity
It has antimicrobial activities too, which play important role in preventing microbial growth within host thus helps to decrease the prevalence of infectious diseases
Health benefits
Role on oral health
- Consumption of sage is really very effective for improving oral health and all the credit goes to its antimicrobial properties
- It has seen that sage is extremely helpful for inhibiting the growth of Streptococcus mutans, which is responsible for developing dental cavities
- Utilization of sage based essential oil is considered as another important remedy for lowering the prevalence of cavities as it hinders the growth of Candida albicans, a fungus accountable for developing cavities
- It is also associated with preventing dental plaque formation
- It is better to use sage based mouth wash as well as essential oil for promoting oral health and hygiene
Role on nervous system
- Sage is considered as one of the most important herbs for brain health
- It is very effective for improving the health and functionality of entire nervous system
- Its antioxidant activity is also responsible for strengthening the defense mechanism of brain hence significantly decreases the prevalence of neurological disorders
- It is directly linked with inhibiting the breakdown of acetylcholine, an important chemical messenger, which plays vital role in enhancing the encoding of memory thus it is better to consume sage for obtaining a healthy memory
- Alzheimer’s diseases is a disease in which the level of acetylcholine get decreased thus individual with Alzheimer’s disease should incorporate sage in their daily diet for improving their symptoms
- It also helps to improve cognitive abilities. It has seen that individual who consume sage or its extract comparatively perform better on tests, which measures problem solving abilities, memory and reasoning abilities
- It is extremely useful for improving brain activities in both older and younger adults
Role on mental health
- It helps to improve mental health as well
- Its consumption is closely related with providing calmness to the body, which ultimately helps to refresh the mind and improves mood
- It is also associated with improving contentedness, attention and alertness
