Hi babyjane
Yes I saw that programme too! It was an interesting result but of course was very limited in its scope - ie very small study and sage not taken long enough to look at long term effects.
However I am sure it is not called sage for nothing!
The problem of course with any supplement that is concentrated and then taken reguarly is that it is then ingested in concentrations far higher than you would take naturally and so needs to be subject to the same safety trials as any other drug, even though it is a natural substance. The body has to deal with the excess.
I looked at some studies of this and they were inconclusive regarding its efficacy. A review looked at studies and said that although results showed promising beneficial effects, they needed further proper study and trials with robust methodology. No details of the studies were given in the abstract
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24836739I did look at a study from another article but it wasn't that helpful as it looked at the effect of sage oil on mood and cognitive performance but only for a number of hours after treatment.
http://www.aromamd.net/edu_memory_mood.pdfClearly as with many of these supplements there needs to be a proper trial carried out to determine efficacy, dosage, different preparations, safety etc
If it were me, until further studies have been carried out, I would go out and buy the herb from the supermarket (very cheap) and use it regularly in cooking in quantities that enhance taste but not so much as to be unpleasant! That way there would be no danger of overdose or toxicity from prolonged use. This cannot do any harm but would allow any beneficial effects from phyisologically appropriate doses.
Hurdity x