We’re on a mission to make sure women feel informed and supported as they reach menopause.
In this series, we’re highlighting some of the key ingredients in our Arella Pause supplement and sharing how they can support you through your next stage of life.
If you haven't seen it yet, take a look at our blog on pine bark extract.
Today, we’re taking a closer look at the benefits of sage for menopause support to help you feel like you again.
How Does Sage Help Menopause Symptoms?
While you might be more familiar with flavouring your roast with this herb or using it to smudge bad energy, Sage, or Salvia officinalis, has traditionally been used to manage excessive sweating and hot flushes.
We still don’t fully understand exactly how sage works during menopause, but researchers believe its natural plant compounds may influence the neurotransmitters involved in controlling body temperature, perspiration, mood and sleep.
Sage Can Reduce Hot Flushes
Hot flushes happen when changing hormone levels affect the part of your brain that regulates body temperature. This can make your body react to small temperature changes with sudden heat, flushing, and sweating.
In a 2011 clinical trial, 71 postmenopausal women experiencing at least five hot flushes a day took one fresh sage preparation daily for eight weeks.
The combined frequency and intensity of their hot flushes decreased by 50% within four weeks and 64% after eight weeks. The number of severe and very severe hot flushes saw the largest reductions.
As the trial didn’t include a placebo group, researchers couldn’t establish how much of the improvement was directly caused by sage. However, later controlled studies have produced further encouraging results.
A 2021 double-blind, placebo-controlled trial followed 80 menopausal women aged between 48 and 65. After four weeks, those taking a thujone-free fresh sage extract experienced a 55% reduction in their hot flush score, compared with a smaller reduction in the placebo group.
A 2023 review of four studies involving 310 women also concluded that sage may help reduce the frequency of menopausal hot flushes.
It Can Help With Night Sweats and Sleep
Hot flushes don’t politely disappear at bedtime, and when they happen during the night, they can leave you overheated, uncomfortable and repeatedly throwing off the covers.
Reducing night sweats could make it easier to sleep without so many interruptions, which may help you feel more rested and alert the following day.
A 2020 double-blind, randomised controlled trial followed 66 postmenopausal women for three months. Those taking sage extract reported fewer night sweats and fewer sleep difficulties than the placebo group.
The 2021 trial also found improvements in sleep quality and fatigue among women taking sage extract.
These findings suggest that sage may support sleep by reducing vasomotor symptoms and helping with broader changes that can make rest difficult during menopause.
Sage Can Support Mood and Energy
Poor sleep, frequent hot flushes and fluctuating hormones can all affect your emotional wellbeing and energy levels.
You may feel exhausted, irritable or unable to focus, even after a relatively ordinary day.
In the 2021 study, women taking sage extract reported improvements in physical and mental exhaustion, fatigue and feelings of discontent compared with those taking a placebo.
A smaller 2019 study involving 30 postmenopausal women also recorded improvements in fatigue, panic and concentration after four weeks of daily sage extract.
These studies are relatively small, but their findings suggest that sage’s potential benefits may extend beyond keeping you cool.
It May Ease Other Physical Symptoms
The 2020 clinical trial also reported improvements in heart palpitations, muscle and joint discomfort, anxiety and sexual wellbeing.
Menopause symptoms are often interconnected; better sleep can support your mood and energy, while experiencing fewer hot flushes may help you feel more comfortable, confident and like yourself again.
Everyone experiences menopause differently, so the symptoms that improve and the time it takes to notice a difference will vary from one woman to another.
How to Take Sage for Menopause Support
The easiest way to include sage in your daily routine is as part of a carefully formulated menopause blend, where it can work alongside other complementary ingredients.
Arella Pause combines sage extract with red clover, pine bark extract, cinnamon, biotin, selenium, and Vitamins A, B, D, and E to provide broader support for common menopause symptoms.
Simply take one 20ml sachet each day. You can rip and sip it straight from the pouch or add it to a smoothie or another drink.
Consistency is important, so try to make Arella Pause part of your everyday routine.
Many of our customers combine Arella Pause with Arella Collagen; together, these powerhouse supplements support hormonal balance and overall wellbeing from the inside out.
Shop the bundle here to save on your monthly supplements.
FAQs
What Is the Best Herb for Menopause?
There’s no single best herb, as menopause symptoms differ between women, but sage is particularly well researched for hot flushes and night sweats, while ingredients such as red clover provide complementary support.
Is Sage Good for Menopause?
Research suggests that sage can help reduce the frequency of hot flushes. Studies have also reported improvements in night sweats, sleep, fatigue and other menopause symptoms.
Does Sage Raise Oestrogen Levels?
Current research doesn’t show that sage consistently raises oestrogen levels. It supports menopause symptoms by influencing the systems involved in temperature regulation rather than replacing oestrogen.
