Following a recent visit to Kew Gardens and The Eden Project, where both had herb gardens with explanations of their benefits to our health, I thought it might be interesting to research the benefits. Over many years common herbs have been used in modern medicines to help all sorts of ailments.

It made me think about how important our natural resources are to our wellbeing. So starting with Clary Sage (Salvia Sclarea), here are some of the benefits:

The therapeutic properties of clary sage oil are antidepressant, anticonvulsive, antispasmodic, antiseptic, aphrodisiac, astringent, bactericidal, carminative, deodorant, digestive, emmenagogue, euphoric, hypotensive, nervine, sedative, stomachic, uterine and nerve tonic.

1. Clary sage is calming to the nervous system, particularly in cases of depression, stress, insomnia and deep seated tension. It furthermore is a good tonic for the womb and female functions in general, such as painful periods, scanty menstruation and relaxation during labor, thus encouraging a less painful birth.

2. During menopause, clary sage oil can help reduce hot flushes, night sweats, palpitations, irritability, as well as headaches and dizziness.

3. It is good for muscle pains, digestive disorders, kidney diseases and the cooling of inflammation of the skin.

Caution: Clary sage oil can be very relaxing and should be avoided when consuming alcohol, since it could exaggerate the effects of alcohol. It is a non-toxic, non-sensitising oil, but can in large doses generate a headache and must be avoided during pregnancy.

I have taken Sage Leaf supplements to ease the symptoms of menopause and it certainly worked wonders in helping to calm the hot flushes!