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Sage (Salvia officinalis) is a gray-green, soft-leaved herb from the mint family, the classic flavor in stuffing, sausage, roast chicken and brown-butter pasta. As a kitchen herb, sage adds a lot of flavor for almost no calories, and dried ground sage is packed with vitamin K by weight, although a pinch supplies only a little. Research on sage benefits is small and mostly uses extracts or dried leaf, not the amounts you sprinkle on food. The safety point worth knowing is thujone, a compound in sage oil that can cause seizures in large amounts. This guide covers sage nutrition from USDA data, what the studies actually tested, sage tea, and who should be careful.
Peptide Labs does not sell sage or sage products. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.
Key Takeaways
- Common or garden sage is Salvia officinalis, a mint-family herb native to the Mediterranean.
- USDA lists ground sage only; one tablespoon has about 6 calories and 29% of the Daily Value for vitamin K.
- Human studies on sage benefits are small and short, mostly with extracts: 30 healthy adults in one trial, 20 older adults in another.
- Europe's medicines agency recognizes sage leaf only as a traditional herbal medicine based on long use.
- Sage oil is high in thujone; the EMA judged its benefit-risk balance negative. Never swallow essential oil.
What is sage?
Sage is a woody perennial with pebbled, slightly fuzzy leaves and an earthy, piney, faintly bitter taste. It belongs to the Lamiaceae family with mint, basil, oregano and thyme. The sage herb sold fresh in bunches or dried and rubbed in jars is almost always Salvia officinalis, but the Salvia genus is huge, and several relatives share the name:
- Greek sage (Salvia triloba) and Spanish sage (Salvia lavandulaefolia) are close relatives with similar uses; both appear with garden sage on FDA’s list of essential oils and extracts generally recognized as safe as food flavorings (21 CFR 182.20).
- Clary sage (Salvia sclarea) is mainly grown for its aromatic oil.
- Holy basil is not a sage at all; see our holy basil guide for that herb.
Sage nutrition: USDA values
The USDA SR Legacy database has an entry for ground sage (FDC 170935) but none for fresh sage leaves, so the table shows the dried spice. Values are rounded; %DV uses FDA Daily Values.
| Nutrient | 1 tsp ground sage (0.7 g) | 1 tbsp ground sage (2 g) | %DV per tbsp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 2 | 6 | n/a |
| Vitamin K | 12 mcg | 34 mcg | 29% |
| Iron | 0.2 mg | 0.6 mg | 3% |
| Calcium | 12 mg | 33 mg | 3% |
| Manganese | 0.02 mg | 0.06 mg | 3% |
| Fiber | 0.3 g | 0.8 g | 3% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.02 mg | 0.05 mg | 3% |
| Magnesium | 3 mg | 9 mg | 2% |
| Sodium | 0.1 mg | 0.2 mg | 0% |
Per 100 grams, USDA lists ground sage at 1,714.5 micrograms of vitamin K, more than 14 times the Daily Value, plus large amounts of iron and calcium. Nobody eats sage by the 100 grams, though, so the realistic contribution is the per-spoon column. The one number that can matter is vitamin K: if you take warfarin, the usual advice is to keep vitamin K intake steady rather than avoid it, and our foods high in vitamin K guide explains why. Sage is also practically sodium-free, which makes it a handy way to add flavor when you are cutting back on salt; see low sodium foods.
What the research says about sage benefits
Lab studies show that sage extracts block cholinesterase enzymes in test tubes, the same enzymes some memory drugs act on, and that idea drove most of the human research. The trials are small, brief and use concentrated preparations:
- Mood and alertness (2006): a double-blind crossover trial gave 30 healthy adults dried sage leaf or a placebo on separate days. Mood ratings improved after sage, and the higher amount improved scores on a stressful multitasking test, while the lower amount gave mixed results.
- Memory in older adults (2008): 20 volunteers over 65 tried four amounts of a standardized sage extract and a placebo, one per visit. One amount improved memory and attention accuracy over the six hours of testing compared with placebo. Single-day tests cannot show longer-term effects.
- A small clinical trial (2003): a four-month placebo-controlled study at three centers in Iran enrolled 42 people aged 65 to 80 with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. The sage extract group scored better on cognitive scales than the placebo group. One small trial is not enough to change care, and anyone worried about memory should see a clinician.
- Traditional use: the European Medicines Agency (EMA) recognizes sage leaf as a traditional herbal medicine for relief of mild indigestion, excessive sweating, mouth or throat inflammation and minor skin inflammation. That status rests on long-standing use, not on clinical trials.
None of these studies tested sage as a seasoning. Culinary sage is a flavorful herb with a little vitamin K, and there is no good evidence that cooking with it produces a measurable health effect.
Sage tea
Sage tea is simply fresh or dried leaves steeped in hot water. It tastes herbal and slightly bitter, and in Europe it has a long history as a gargle for a sore mouth or throat, which matches one of the EMA traditional uses. Because sage leaf contains some thujone, a 2010 risk assessment in Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology looked at sage and wormwood teas and concluded that short-term medicinal use can be regarded as safe. The EMA still says products should use low-thujone sage, should state their thujone content, are not recommended in pregnancy or breastfeeding, and have not been established for anyone under 18. If you enjoy herbal teas for flavor, our guides to chamomile tea and peppermint cover two other common choices.
Thujone, sage oil and safety
Sage essential oil is a different product from the leaf. In its public statement on sage oil, the EMA notes that the oil has high levels of thujone, that thujone is toxic and may cause seizures at high levels in animal studies and case reports, and that the benefit-risk balance of sage oil as a traditional medicine is negative. Its sage leaf monograph adds that large intakes of sage oil have been reported to cause a feeling of heat, a fast heartbeat, dizziness and seizures. Thujone is the same compound behind the reputation of wormwood and absinthe; see our wormwood guide. Sage used as a seasoning in ordinary cooking is a different situation from drinking the oil or taking concentrated extracts.
- Never swallow sage essential oil and keep all essential oils away from children; Poison Control reports serious poisonings after children swallowed small amounts of essential oils.
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding: the EMA does not recommend medicinal sage preparations because safety has not been established. Ask your clinician about anything beyond seasoning.
- Seizure disorders: because thujone can trigger seizures at high levels, people with epilepsy should ask a clinician before using sage extracts, strong teas or oils.
- Medicines: keep vitamin K intake consistent if you take warfarin, and ask a pharmacist before adding a sage extract to any prescription routine.
- Allergy: the EMA lists hypersensitivity to sage as the one contraindication; stop and seek care for hives, swelling or trouble breathing.
How to cook with sage
- Fresh vs dried: dried rubbed or ground sage is more concentrated, so recipes usually call for less of it than fresh leaves.
- Classic pairings: poultry, pork, white beans, winter squash, mushrooms, gnocchi and brown butter.
- Crispy leaves: fried briefly, whole leaves turn crisp and mellow and make an easy garnish.
- Herb oils: the CDC advises refrigerating homemade oils made with garlic or herbs and throwing them away after 4 days, because of the risk of botulism; our garlic guide covers the same rule.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main sage benefits?
As food, sage adds flavor with almost no calories or sodium and supplies some vitamin K. Small studies of sage extracts reported short-term mood and memory effects, but the evidence is limited.
Is sage tea safe to drink?
A 2010 risk assessment considered short-term medicinal use of sage tea safe, but the EMA does not recommend medicinal sage in pregnancy, breastfeeding or for people under 18.
What is thujone in sage?
Thujone is a natural compound concentrated in sage oil. At high levels it can cause seizures, which is why the EMA prefers low-thujone sage and judged sage oil’s benefit-risk balance negative.
Is the sage herb the same as clary sage?
No. Kitchen sage is Salvia officinalis; clary sage is Salvia sclarea, a relative grown mainly for its aromatic oil.
How much vitamin K is in sage?
One tablespoon of ground sage has about 34 micrograms, roughly 29% of the Daily Value, in USDA data. People on warfarin should keep vitamin K intake steady.
Does fresh sage have the same nutrition as dried?
USDA SR Legacy only lists ground sage. Fresh leaves contain much more water, so gram for gram they are less concentrated.
Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have surgery planned. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Last reviewed October 2026.
Related guides: Garlic Benefits, Nutrition and Raw vs Cooked Garlic, Rosemary Benefits: Herb Nutrition, Fresh vs Dried and Research, Holy Basil (Tulsi): Benefits, Research and Side Effects.