Sage, the kitchen spice, might have health benefits.  Much more research is needed, although much is being done.  Still, I use it frequently.  It's cheap and harmless and tastes okay.  Sage belongs to the salvia family of plants.  I don't know how much difference there is between plants, but different members of the salvia family have been used in traditional medicine in Europe, in the Middle East, and in China.  Rosmarinic acid is found in sage and in lemon balm and may have beneficial effects.  Sage is a fairly potent anti-oxidant.  Whether this plays any role in its benefits is unknown.

The Chinese sage is commonly used to prevent and treat heart disease.  Although a small amount of basic science research is supportive, human outcome research is lacking.  Animal studies show a variety of benefits, but whether any of these apply to humans is unknown.

One Chinese study reports benefits for hepatitis B cirrhosis from some kind of Chinese salvia injections.  Many Chinese studies show value for angina, but the quality of the studies is low.  Some types of salvia plants are toxic.

Sage Extract Used in Middle East: Extract most common plant extract for common cold and abdominal pain. May have side-effects. J Ethnopharmacol 2000 Aug 1;71(3):513-520. Promoted by others in Europe as memory enhancing. J Pharm Pharmacol 2000 Jul;52(7):895-902. Also promoted as an anti-oxidant. Nahrung 2000 Jun;44(3):158-63. Sage helped skin cancer which had been induced in mice. Phytomedicine 2000 Apr;7(2):129-36

Sage & Olive Oil Protect Against Lung Cancer: Cases (n = 342) of lung cancer and controls (n = 292) were studied with a food-frequency questionnaire. Researchers found protective effects for high consumption of carrots (odds ratio [OR] = 0.67), tomatoes (OR = 0.59), white meat (OR = 0.66), exclusive use of olive oil (OR = 0.67), and regular consumption of sage (OR = 0.43). In a multivariate model, considering all food items simultaneously, the protective effect of exclusive olive oil use and sage remained statistically significant. Rome The protective effect of the mediterranean diet on lung cancer. The protective effect of the Mediterranean diet on lung cancer. Fortes C, Forastiere F, et al. Nutr Cancer. 2003;46(1):30-7.

Sage-Rhubarb Ointment = Zorirax Against Herpes: In a DB study of 145 patients, researchers compared sage ointment, sage-rhubarb, and zovirax. Sage and rhubarb had both done well on screening search. Time to cure 7.6 days with sage, 6.5 with combo, 6.3 with Zovirax. Forsch Komplementarmed Klass Naturheilkd. 2001 Dec;8(6):373-82. 

Sage Helps Memory: In a DB PC crossover study at Northumbria Univ. with college students tested on immediate and delayed word recall, researchers found that 50 microg of essential oils effects in increasing immediate recall in two separate studies or 20 and 24 students. Salvia lavandulaefolia (Spanish Sage) enhances memory in healthy young volunteers. Tildesley NT, Kennedy DO, Pet al. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2003 Jun;75(3):669-74; Same study: Physiol Behav. 2005 Jan 17;83(5):699-709.

Sage May Help AD: Sage has anticholinesterase, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, estrogenic and CNS depressant (sedative) effects relevant to the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The essential oil inhibits the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) from human brain tissue and individual monoterpenoid constituents inhibit AChE with varying degrees of potency. In vivo AChE inhibition of select brain (striatal and hippocampal over cortical) AChE was obtained following oral administration of the essential oil to rats. In a study in healthy volunteers essential oil administration produced significant effects on cognition. In a pilot open-label study involving oral administration of the essential oil to patients with AD, statistically significant differences between baseline and 6 weeks treatment were a reduction in neuropsychiatric symptoms and an improvement in attention. Salvia for dementia therapy: review of pharmacological activity and pilot tolerability clinical trial. Perry NS, Bollen C, Perry EK, Ballard C. Univ. Otago, Dunedin, NZ. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2003 Jun;75(3):651-9

Sage, Thyme, Mint, Cinnamon, Clove with Anti-bacterial and Anti-Fungal Properties: Essential oils of spices and herbs (thyme, origanum, mint, cinnamon, salvia and clove) were found to possess the strongest antimicrobial properties among many tested. Poland. Antibacterial and antifungal properties of essential oils. Kalemba D, Kunicka A. Curr Med Chem. 2003 May;10(10):813-29

Sage (Salvia Officialis) Helps AD in Small DB: 41 patients ages 65-80 in a DB PC study for 4 months found better cognition on ADAS-cog and less agitation with 60 drops/d salvia. p=.003. Less agitation with sage. Salvia officinalis extract in the treatment of patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease: a double blind, randomized and placebo-controlled trial. Akhondzadeh S, Noroozian M, et al. Tehran. J Clin Pharm Ther 2003 Feb;28(1):53-9; Sage should not be used in pregnancy, or while breastfeeding according to Artemis Herbs website. Sage is promoted for fatigue. Another listing claims sage helps skin troubles, gargle, sore throats, bleeding gums, quinsy and tonsillitis.

Sage Improved Mood in Normal Adults: Salvia officinalis (sage) has in vitro cholinesterase inhibiting properties, and enhances mnemonic performance and improve mood in healthy young participants. In a DB PC crossover study of 30 healthy participants of placebo, 300, 600 mg dried sage leaf, both doses of sage led to improved ratings of mood in the absence of the stressor 1 and 4 hours later, with the lower dose reducing anxiety and the higher dose increasing 'alertness', 'calmness' and 'contentedness' on the Bond-Lader mood scales. The reduced anxiety effect following the lower dose was, however, abolished by performing the DISS stress inducer, with the same dose also being associated with a reduction of alertness during performance. Task performance on the DISS battery was improved for the higher dose at both postdose sessions, but reduced for the lower dose at the later testing session. Effects of Cholinesterase Inhibiting Sage (Salvia officinalis) on Mood, Anxiety and Performance on a Psychological Stressor Battery. Kennedy DO, et al. University of Northumbria, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. Neuropsychopharmacology, 5 October 2005.

Pharnyngitis Helped in Imperfect Study: In a manufacturer's 3-day DB PC phase II/III study 0f 286 patients with viral sore throats, a spray containing a Salvia officinalis fluid extract 15 % spray containing 140 microl sage extract per dose was superior to placebo for reduction of the throat pain intensity score but 5% and 30% sprays were not.  The results do not appear convincing and only the results for the first two hours were mentioned in the abstract. Efficacy and tolerability of a spray with salvia officinalis in the treatment of acute pharyngitis - a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study with adaptive design and interim analysis. Hubbert M, et al. Sidroga GmbH, Bad Sackingen, Germany. . Eur K Med Res 2006 Jan 31;11(1):20-6. 

Salvia Miltiorrhiza Helps Rat Stroke: A study has demonstrated that SM can reduce the area of cerebral infarct in ischemia-reperfusion injured rats, suggesting it may be useful in the treatment of cerebral infarct in humans. The therapeutic effect of SM may be partly due to its free radical scavenging. Taiwan. Am J Chin Med. 2003;31(2):191-200. Salvia miltiorrhiza; Chinese study of salvia injections for random study of 72 stroke victims. Results hard to understand but "CSI shows definite effect in treating cerebral infarction, to reduce the oxygen free radical damage and regulate the apolipoprotein metabolism." Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 2002 May;22(5):353-5. Salvia is apparently a traditional treatment for stroke.

Salvia Miltiorrhiza Extract DanShen (Chinese) Helped Rat, Dog Heart Attacks: Life Sci. 2003 Aug 1;73(11):1413-26. Both it and ACE Inhibitor found cardioprotective. Salvia miltiorrhiza roots; Dog study found 21 days of salvia helped increase collaterol circulation into infarcted area. J Tongji Med Univ. 1999;19(1):40-1, 69; chronic treatment with Salvia Miltiorrhiza could prevent left ventricular hypertrophy in spontaneously hypertensive rats, significantly inhibit collagen compositions in left ventricle. The mechanism was probably related with the inhibition of the cardiac aldosterone action. J Huazhong Univ Sci Technolog Med Sci. 2002;22(4):302-4; Dansheng injection has some protective effect on spinal cord injury in the early stage in rabbit study. Hunan Yi Ke Da Xue Xue Bao. 2002 Dec 28;27(6):507-8;

Salvia Miltiorrhiza (DanShen) Helps Angina: Traditionally used in China for angina and said 87% effective. UNESCO Cour. 1979 Jul;7:25-7. IV preparation helped angina in Japan study and noted oral traditional. Circ J. 2002 Feb;66(2):182-4.; danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza) appears to potentiate warfarin. Helped in 40 pt unstable angina study vs. placebo. Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 2000 Jun;20(6):415-7; Helped protect myocardium of ischemic coronary heart disease patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery in study of 108 randomly assigned. Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 1999 Feb;19(2):75-6. There have been 27 randomized controlled studies, but unfortunately, the quality of the studies have been low.  They have shown benefit for angina, but higher quality studies are needed. Med Sci Monit 2006 Jan;12(1):SR1-7.

Salvia Helped in Hepatitis B Cirrhosis: In a randomized DB PC study of 120 hepatitis B patients with cirrhosis with HBV , different dosages of injectable salvia all improved the clinical symptoms and decline the level of ALT, TBil, PC III, CIV and HA (P < 0. 05). Treatment of large dosages SI showed the best efficacy (P < 0.05). The efficacy of SI to compensatory cirrhosis group was better than that of decompensated cirrhosis group (P < 0.05). Clinical study on treatment of cirrhosis by different dosages of salvia injection. Ye F, et al. Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China. Zhong Yao Cai 2005 Sep;28(9):850-4.

Salvia Miltiorrhiza (DanShen) Helped Fracture Healing Strength in Rat Study: Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 1999 Feb;19(2):106-7

Salvia miltiorrhiza can protect rats with streptozotocin diabetes from diabetic nephropathy by suppressing the over-expressions of TGF-beta1, CTGF, PAI-1 and FN in renal cortex. Zhong Xi Yi Jue He Xue Bao 2005 Nov;3(6):459-62.

Salvia Divinorum: Salvia divinorum is a Mexican hallucinogenic mint. Young people from Mexican cities were reported to smoke dried leaves of S. divinorum as a marijuana substitute. It is now being grown in Switzerland as a recreational drug. Forensic Sci Int. 2000 Aug 14;112(2-3):143-50.

Salvia libanotica Used in Lebanon for Colds and Abdominal Pain: An extract of sage (Salvia libanotica), a plant endemic to the Mediterranean region, is the most popular plant remedy used by the Middle Eastern people to treat common complaints such as colds and abdominal pain. J Ethnopharmacol. 2000 Aug;71(3):513-20

Salvia Miltiorrhiza Used for Eyes and for Cancer: intramuscular injections of Salvia miltiorrhiza have shown benefit in improving visual acuity and peripheral vision in people with glaucoma. Altern Med Rev. 2001 Apr;6(2):141-66

Salvia libanotica Helped Rat Skin Cancer: oil extract of the sage plant has potent suppressive activities against tumor promotion in mouse skin and thus could be an effective chemopreventive agent against skin cancer. Lebanon.

Salvia Miltiorrhiza (DanShen) Helps Rat Ulcers: Acetic acid induced unlcers were treated for 30 days with DanShen, cimetidine or placebo. Danshen was effective in promoting ulcer healing and preventing recurrence. The mechanism of action is to strengthen the gastric mucosal barrier and to promote the gastric mucosal cell proliferation along the edge of the ulcer. World J Gastroenterol. 1998 Apr;4(2):169-170; It is also used for nerve deafness in China.

Valeriana Better than Salvia Miltiorrhiza for Angina: Valeriana officinalis var latifolia VOL was superior to SMCo on matter in the remission of symptoms, decreasing the attack frequency and shortening the duration of angina, or in restoring the blood supply to ischemic myocardium. In addition, it was discovered that VOL could lower plasma lipids as well. Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 1994 Sep;14(9):540-2.

Salvia Miltiorrhiza Protected Rat Liver from Carbon Tet: J Pharmacol Sci. 2003 Mar;91(3):202-10 Chinese study; Essential oils of spices and herbs (thyme, origanum, mint, cinnamon, salvia and clove) were found to possess the strongest antimicrobial properties among many tested. Curr Med Chem. 2003 May;10(10):813-29

Salvia Miltiorrhiza Helped Liver Cirrhosis Portal Hypertention: SM and AM (Astragalus) could improve portal hypertension effectively in liver cirrhosis patients, one of the mechanism may be related with the improvement of liver fibrosis. Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 2001 May;21(5):351-3

Salvia Miltiorrhiza Protects Rat Kidneys from Toxin: Decreased CsA-related TGF-beta 1 and renin upregulation expression and accumulation of matrix proteins in the kidney might be related to the protective mechanism of CSI on CsA-induced chronic nephrotoxicity from cyclosporin A. Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 2001 Aug;21(8):611-4. Other kidney studies report benefits.; results suggest that danshen has an anti-hypertensive effect through the inhibition of ACE, an essential regulatory enzyme of RAS. Am J Chin Med. 2002;30(1):87-93

Salvia Miltiorrhiza Helps infantile hypoxic-ishemic encephalopathy: CSI was markedly effective in treating mid and severe HIE infants in 60 kid random study. Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 2001 Dec;21(12):903-