It seems we're smack in the middle of cold and flu season, and with that comes the dreaded sore throat. Alongside kitchen staples like honey and lemon, we like to reach for sage, which can be used to make a comforting tea.
Sage (Salvia officinalis) has astringent, antiseptic, and antibacterial qualities, and this herb has a long history of use for sore throats, coughs, and mouth inflammations. Fresh or dried sage makes an aromatic tea, which we've found to be quite soothing to sore throats.
To make sage tea, pour 1 cup of almost-boiling water over 2 tablespoons of fresh or 1 tablespoon of dried sage leaves. Cover and steep for 10-15 minutes and strain. Add honey and/or lemon, if desired. Sage tea may also be used as a throat gargle.
Note: sage tea is generally not recommended for use during pregnancy and lactation.
Related: Under the Weather? Try These Soothing Sippers
(Image: Flickr member suttonhoo22 licensed under Creative Commons)
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What a great idea. Against all odds I have managed to keep my indoor sage plants alive so far this year so I actually have fresh sage to do this with!
With same sage tea also we drink when we have stomach ache or upset stomach, it will help to relief the pain (Note: it may make you puke so beware)
Love it, very good for cold but pregnant women must be very careful and not consume more then 1 cup.
I didn't know about sage tea, but I made many pots of thyme tea with honey when i had bronchitis. It definitely helped keep my coughing under control. I'm all in favor of herbal remedies, instead of popping pills.