Around three-quarters of all menopausal women suffer from night sweats. They can be one of the most disruptive symptoms of menopause because they disturb a woman’s sleep, which may lead to other problems, such as fatigue, stress, and irritability. So, what’s the best way
to manage night sweats? For some, sage has helped to alleviate night sweats and other menopausal symptoms.
How Does Sage Help Night Sweats?
Sage (Salvia officinalis), a member of the mint family, has been used as a medicinal and culinary herb for thousands of years. When it comes to menopause, modern studies have shown that sage helps to relieve both the frequency and severity of certain symptoms, such as hot flashes, night sweats and dizziness. Though not completely understood, the estrogenic compounds found within this herb are unmistakably effective at regulating hormone imbalance. In this regard, it has also been used to treat irregular periods, and many women find that it helps the body make the transition through hormonal change.
Sage makes an excellent natural remedy, because along with reducing sweating, this herb can provide a relaxing, tranquilizing effect – thus making sleep drier, deeper, and sweeter.
Other Benefits of Sage
Sage is an incredibly multifunctional herb and may provide additional benefits, especially when it comes to brain function and cognition. Thanks to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action, sage may be excellent for:
Delays the onset of Alzheimers disease
Improving thinking and learning in those with Alzheimers
Boosting mood
Improving mental performance in the young
Heightening memory and attention in older adults
Amazingly, its list of benefits continues. Sage is also astringent, antiseptic, stomachic, and tonic, and thus used to soothe scratchy throats, cure canker sores and tender gums, treat asthma, relieve painful bites and stings, clear mucous, and encourage proper digestion.
Side Effects of Sage
Just like any herb or medicine, sage may come with some potential risks. Though considered safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, taking sage in larger, medicinal amounts may result in restlessness, wheezing, vomiting, vertigo, rapid heart rate, tremors, seizures, and kidney damage. It can also irritate the skin in those sensitive to sage.
To avoid the risk of adverse side effects, it is best to consume sage only in the recommended amounts. As an essential oil, the dosage should not exceed 12 drops per day.
More Information
Sage’s anti-sweating and relaxation properties can make it a great herbal supplement for managing night sweats.