Salvia Officinalis for Blood Sugar Control: A Natural Approach

For people who are pre-diabetic or diabetic, controlling blood glucose levels is crucial to avoiding the debilitating effects of the disease. Salvia Officinalis, the common herb sage, can be used to lower glucose levels. The most common and effective way is by drinking it as a tea. In a recent study, Cristovao F. Lima and colleagues concluded that the use of sage mimics the popular diabetes drug, Metformin.

Things You'll Need

• Tea cup, coffee cup, or similar drink holder
• Two tablespoons fresh sage (may substitute with two teaspoons dried sage)
• Tea ball, coffee filter, or empty tea bag
• Sugar substitute, honey, or other sweetener (optional)
• Tea kettle or small pot
• One spoon

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Instructions

Sage Tea Instructions

• 1

  Prepare the sage for steeping. If using a tea ball or tea bag, place the sage inside. If using a coffee filter, place the sage into the filter, and gather the edges of the filter to create a pouch. Twist the filter to keep the sage inside.

• 2

  Add 20 ounces of water to the kettle (or pot), and bring the water to a boil. This should take about three or four minutes, depending on the amount of heat applied.

• 3

  Place the tea ball, bag, or coffee filter into the cup.

• 4

  Pour the boiling water into the cup and allow the tea to steep for five to seven minutes. This is an important step to ensure that an adequate amount of the medicinal value of the sage leaves is released into the water.

• 5

  Use a spoon to remove the tea ball, bag, or coffee filter from the cup. If a second spoon is available, squeeze the sage leaves between the two spoons to release all the fluid.

• 6

  Add sweetener or other garnishments to the tea and enjoy!