BMC women's health · 2023

This double-blind randomized controlled trial with 54 analysed postmenopausal women explored whether breathing in sage essential oil could improve sexual function and satisfaction after menopause. Sexual problems are common after menopause, and because hormone therapy has side effects, researchers have looked at gentler options such as aromatherapy, the use of plant scents. Common sage (Salvia officinalis) is a herb, and the authors say this was the first trial to test its scent for this purpose. The women were recruited through four health centers in Kermanshah, Iran, and all scored at or below 28 on the Female Sexual Function Index, the cut-off for sexual dysfunction. Women aged 45 to 60 were randomly assigned to sage or a comparison oil, without knowing which. Twice a day, five days a week, for six weeks, they placed two drops of either 10% sage essential oil or plain almond oil on a forearm and breathed in the scent for five minutes. Researchers phoned weekly to check use and side effects. Sexual function and satisfaction were scored with two questionnaires before the study and after six weeks. The sage group scored far higher at the end. Average sexual function on the Female Sexual Function Index was 28.28 with sage compared with 17.90 with almond oil (p < 0.001), a gap of more than ten points on a scale that runs from 2 to 36. Every area measured, including desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction and pain, was higher with sage. Sexual satisfaction averaged 71.53 versus 50.44 on a scale where higher is better (p < 0.001). The almond oil group showed no meaningful change from its starting scores, either in sexual function (p = 0.19) or in satisfaction (p = 0.18). No significant adverse effects were reported for sage compared with the control group. One reported average in the abstract (28.8) differs slightly from the results table (28.28). The authors suggest sage aromatherapy may help postmenopausal sexual problems. Several limitations apply. Participants may have inhaled different doses despite training, all results came from self-reported questionnaires, only six weeks of effects were studied, and ten of the 64 women who started were excluded afterwards. The causes and length of each woman's sexual difficulties were not assessed. The findings come from married, otherwise healthy women in one Iranian city and do not extend to other groups.

Journal of psychiatric research · 2011

This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with 81 randomized adults explored whether St. John's wort, a widely used herbal remedy, or the antidepressant citalopram works better than a dummy pill for minor depression. Minor depression means having two to four depressive symptoms, such as low mood or loss of interest, for months without meeting the criteria for major depression. It is common, yet few treatments have been shown to help it, and an earlier study of the antidepressant fluoxetine had found benefit mainly in its most severely ill participants. The researchers also wanted to learn how many side effects people already report before taking any study pill. Participants were recruited at three US medical centers through clinical referrals and community advertising. They took St. John's wort 810 mg a day, citalopram 20 mg a day, or look-alike placebo for 12 weeks, without knowing which. Depression severity was rated by clinicians on the 30-item Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology, alongside quality-of-life, well-being and side-effect questionnaires completed at visits every two weeks. Seventy-three people had at least one follow-up visit and 59 finished the trial. Neither treatment beat placebo. On the main depression score the difference between groups was negligible (p = 0.771), and 52.2% of placebo participants improved by at least half, compared with 41.7% on citalopram and 38.5% on St. John's wort (meaning the dummy pill did at least as well as either active treatment). Quality of life and well-being followed the same pattern. Side effects were common in every group: about 60% of people reported symptoms that looked like side effects before taking anything, and 85% of the St. John's wort group, 100% of the citalopram group and 91% of the placebo group reported new or worsening problems during treatment. Distressing side effects reached 35%, 60% and 39% respectively, and stomach and sleep problems were more frequent with both active treatments than with placebo. The authors attribute the result to a large placebo response and suggest that brief non-drug approaches deserve study for minor depression. Limitations include a modest sample that fell short of the planned size, a St. John's wort group that was younger than the others and no blood tests to confirm that participants took the product. The findings concern one St. John's wort preparation at one dose in minor depression only, and do not extend to major depression.

Nutrients · 2021

This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with 94 healthy adults explored whether a sage supplement could improve memory and thinking, both within a day and after a month of daily use. Sage belongs to the mint family (Lamiaceae) and contains terpenes, which inhibit the enzyme acetylcholinesterase and bind brain receptors, and phenolics such as rosmarinic acid, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity in neurons. Earlier trials had found that single doses of common sage (Salvia officinalis) or Spanish sage (Salvia lavandulaefolia) improved memory and attention within hours. This study tested a commercial combination of both species, called Cognivia, which a rodent study had linked to longer-term memory gains through an enzyme called CaMKII. Participants were aged 30 to 60 (69 women, 25 men) and took either 600 mg of the sage combination or a matching placebo capsule every day for about 29 days. The capsules held a standardized leaf extract of common sage plus Spanish sage essential oil. On the first and last days, volunteers sat computerized memory and attention tests (the COMPASS battery) before dosing and again two and four hours afterward, along with mood questionnaires, blood pressure and heart rate checks. Tests included remembering digit sequences, repeating block-tapping patterns on a screen and recalling names matched to faces. Sage produced consistent benefits on working memory and accuracy. Block-tapping span was higher with sage on day 1 (p = 0.04) and day 29 (p = 0.002), and accuracy on a numeric working memory task was better with sage on day 29 (p = 0.03), meaning participants on sage held information in mind more reliably than those on placebo. Name-to-face recall was also better with sage after four weeks (p = 0.03). A composite working-memory accuracy score fell in the placebo group across the testing day but was maintained with sage. No effects appeared on mood, anxiety, blood pressure or a prospective memory video task. Adverse events were mostly mild or moderate headaches (34 events with sage, 10 with placebo), and all resolved during the study. The authors interpret the results as a benefit that appears within two hours and strengthens over 29 days. Several limitations apply. About 69% of participants correctly guessed they were taking sage, so expectation may have contributed. Placebo participants started with a higher block-tapping score on day 1, diet was not controlled, and the study did not include arms testing each sage species alone, so the contribution of each cannot be separated. Participants were healthy adults tested for one month, so the findings do not extend to people with memory problems or to longer use. The authors call for longer trials and for human confirmation of the proposed CaMKII mechanism.