Sage aids immediate memory

The Medicinal Plant Research Centre at Newcastle and Northumbria universities tested a group of 44 adults aged between 18 and 37. Some were given capsules containing sage oil while others received a placebo capsule of sunflower oil. Those who took the sage oil performed consistently better, remembering more words than those who had the placebo. Nicola Tildesley, chief researcher on the project - published in the journal Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behaviour and funded by Oxford Natural Products -said: "This proves how valuable the work by the old herbalists is, and that they shouldn't be ignored because they were writing centuries ago." Herbalists have been recommending sage since the 16th century. In 1597 John Gerard wrote: "It is singularly good for the head and brain and quickeneth the nerves and memory." Part of a 1652 description of sage by Nicholas Culpepper reads: "It also heals the memory, warming and quickening the senses."

The herb is already being investigated as a potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, which affects an estimated 10 million people worldwide. This follows earlier work by the same team which showed that sage inhibits an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase (AChE). AChE breaks down the chemical acetylcholine, which has an important role in memory. Alzheimer's is accompanied by a drop in levels of acetylcholine. Scientists think a combination of chemicals in sage oil have an effect on AChE. It is also thought to possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and hormone-like properties believed to be of value in treating Alzheimer's. Results from a new trial testing the effect of sage on Alzheimer's patients are expected shortly.