Is Sage Tea Good for PMS?

Partly: sage tea may offer comfort during PMS if a warm, hydrating drink helps you relax, but sage itself has not been proven to relieve PMS symptoms.

Can sage tea help with PMS?

Sage tea can be a pleasant addition to your routine before a period, especially if you enjoy it warm. It is not an established treatment for PMS, and there is no reliable basis for predicting whether it will improve cramps, bloating, breast tenderness or mood changes.

PMS is a pattern of physical and emotional symptoms that occurs before a period and usually improves after it starts. A comforting drink may make that time feel easier without changing the underlying symptoms. For a broader look at drink choices, see the best drinks for PMS.

How might sage tea work for PMS?

Sage tea contributes fluid, and a warm cup can be soothing. Taking a quiet break to drink it may also help you feel more relaxed. Those are general comfort benefits, not evidence that sage changes the hormonal processes involved in PMS.

Sage contains naturally occurring plant compounds, but their presence in the herb does not establish that a cup of sage tea delivers enough of them to affect PMS. The amount that enters the water can vary with the type of sage, the amount used and how it is prepared.

There is also no established PMS mechanism for sage tea. In particular, it should not be described as balancing hormones or treating inflammation associated with PMS.

What does the evidence say about sage tea and PMS?

We found no studies on sage tea for PMS, so research does not support the claim that it works. Its effects on individual symptoms, the amount that might help and how long an effect might last are all unestablished.

Even if research on a concentrated sage product becomes available, that would not automatically show that sage tea has the same effect. An extract, supplement or essential oil can differ substantially from leaves steeped in water.

If you decide to drink sage tea, treat it as a beverage you enjoy rather than a way to test or manage a medical condition. Keep track of your symptoms across menstrual cycles if you want a clearer record to discuss with a healthcare professional. Note when symptoms start and stop and whether they interfere with sleep, work or daily activities.

How can you use sage tea during PMS?

For a light, food-style sage tea, try this refrigerated infusion. The amounts and steeping time are for flavor, not a tested PMS dose.

Ingredients

• 1 liter (about 4¼ US cups) drinking water
• 8–12 fresh culinary sage leaves or 2 sprigs (about 5 g)

Steps

1. Rinse the sage under running drinking water.
2. Add the sage and water to a clean, covered container.
3. Refrigerate for 2–4 hours to infuse, then strain out the sage.
4. Serve chilled, or gently warm a portion if you prefer a warm drink.

Keep the remaining sage tea refrigerated and drink it within 24 hours for best flavor. Discard it after 2–3 days, or sooner if it becomes cloudy, slimy or sour-smelling. Do not leave it at room temperature for more than a few hours.

There is no established amount of sage tea to drink for PMS. A mild infusion can be an occasional comfort drink, but making it stronger or drinking more has not been shown to improve symptoms. Do not add sage essential oil to the drink or use concentrated sage products as a substitute for the leaves.

Who should be careful with sage tea?

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, ask a healthcare professional before using sage tea, particularly regularly or in concentrated forms. Ask a child's healthcare professional before offering sage tea as a remedy to a child.

If you have a seizure disorder or take medicines for seizures or diabetes, check with a healthcare professional or pharmacist before using sage tea regularly or taking sage supplements. Sage products can vary in strength, and concentrated preparations may pose greater risks than culinary amounts. Sage essential oil should not be swallowed.

Talk with a healthcare professional if symptoms are severe, worsening, occur outside the usual premenstrual pattern or disrupt daily life. Severe mood symptoms around a period also deserve assessment; you do not need to manage them with sage tea alone. Continue prescribed medicines unless the prescribing professional advises otherwise.

Seek urgent medical help for sudden severe pelvic pain, fainting or thoughts of self-harm. Very heavy bleeding also warrants prompt medical assessment.