I learned something new today about Clary Sage and I wanted to share it with you….

Clary Sage is a wonderful tonic for the whole nervous system. Occasional tremors and muscle spasms may be calmed, frantic thoughts are soothed and a nice gentle wave of euphoria washes over us during times of great stress.
Whilst helping someone figure out WHY Clary Sage was having such a profound positive impact with their neurological issues, I came across some fantastic research on PubMed that made Clary Sage SO much more exciting……if you’re a nerd like me you’ll appreciate it🤓
Research shows that the internal administration of Clary Sage is indicated with a 20% increase in Nitric Oxide production in the body. This is a big deal when it comes to optimising brain function and supporting folks with neurodegenerative issues.
Fuzzy memory, forgetfulness, poor concentration, memory/ word recall issues, balance and co-ordination issues and even dementia may be caused in part due to the lack of oxygen to the brain otherwise known as Hypoxia.

Those with Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, ME, CIRS, and other similar chronic illnesses will understand this foggy feeling only too well and I do wonder if Clary Sage may be a bloody brilliant support for these folks as well as those individuals recovering from brain injury.
Your body and your brain can’t be truly healthy unless you are generating optimal amounts of nitric oxide leading to optimum blood flow and nutrient delivery. Your brain, while only about 2% of your body’s mass consumes an astounding 25% of your body’s requirement of oxygen. It really does have an insatiable appetite for O2.

A lack of sufficient blood flow to the brain bringing in essential nutrients and removing cellular waste increases your risks for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other dementias.
Insufficient blood flow can also cause a reduction in brain performance. This is why Breath Work such as the Wim Hof Method can be so incredibly beneficial for mental performance and peak cognitive function.

Not only does nitric oxide increase blood and oxygen flow to the brain, it also appears to be a key signalling molecule between brain cells and strongly affects the brain’s processing power. Nitric Oxide has the ability to carry information between neurons without using the synapses.

This makes Nitric Oxide very powerful and a fantastic performance-enhancing brain hack for those wishing they could experience what it was like to be Bradley Coopers character in Limitless 😁

Side Note – Nitric Oxide is a vasodilator and may be helpful where sexual dysfunction is being experienced thanks to it’s blood flow enhancing properties.

Exploring other possible avenues for the brain loving properties of Clary Sage led me to discover several other key attributes -1. Clary Sage appears to be strongly indicated in the modulation of the DAnergic Pathway where it is involved in the binding of norepinephrine and epinephrine. Adrenergic Receptors are found in the Central Nervous System and play a critical role in wakefulness, cognition, and mood.2. Clary Sage has also been found to increase 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) levels in a small study of 22 women where it was administered through inhalation. 5-HT is heavily involved in modulating mood, cognition, reward, learning and memory. This again indicates that Clary Sage appears to have powerful brain loving properties.

So, what to do with this information – doTerra’s Clary Sage essential oil is GRAS listed and is safe for ingestion. It’s actually one of my favourite essential oils to drop under my tongue before bed to induce relaxation. You might like to experiment with this yourself.
Alternatively, grab your bottle of Clary Sage and get all up close and personal with her aroma. Breathe her in on the daily, make it part of your morning practice, inhale some deep breathes before you want to get some serious work down for the day or drop her in your diffuser.  She pairs particularly well with Peppermint, Spearmint, Vetiver and Rosemary which are all excellent brain tonics in their own right when it comes to boosting cognition, memory and focus.

You could also try applying her topically to your brain stem aka the Occipital Point, that little soft spot on the back of your neck where it meets your skull. Remember that incorporating multiple application methods multiplies the benefits so be sure to try a combination of topical and aromatic applications for example or sublingual (under the tongue) and aromatic. Have a play and see what yields the best results for you!

I’d love to hear what you think.

x Bec