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Question & Answer

Does burning sage protect against viruses?
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The Evidence

  • Sage is an aromatic herb that is part of the mint family. It has oval, dusty grey-green leaves with woody stems.
  • Burning sage, a practice commonly known as smudging is an ancient spiritual ritual that is traditionally used by some cultures for various purposes such as purification, cleansing, relaxation, etc.
  • We looked for studies on the association between burning sage and protection against viruses. We did not identify any related primary studies or systematic reviews on this topic.

Guidelines and recommendations

  • We searched several national and international organisations including WHO, CDC, ECDC, HSE, and HSPC for related guidelines and recommendations.
  • We did not find any guidelines or recommendations on the use of sage to protect against viruses.
  • The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) mentioned that little is known about the health effects of sage, as little research has been done on it.

Things to Remember

Reviewers

  • Lead Researcher: Dr. KM Saif-Ur-Rahman, Senior Research Methodologist, Evidence Synthesis Ireland and Cochrane Ireland, College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Galway
  • Reviewed by: Dr. Paula Byrne, Senior post-doctoral researcher, iHealthFacts, Evidence Synthesis Ireland and Cochrane Ireland, College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Galway.
  • Topic advisor: Dr. Sinéad Lydon, Associate Professor, Discipline of General Practice, School of Medicine, University of Galway.
  • Public and Patient advisor: Anne Daly, Public and Patient Involvement in research (PPI) advisor, PPI Ignite, University of Galway.
  • Journalist Advisor: Dr. Claire O’Connell, PhD in cell biology, Masters in Science Communication. Contributor to The Irish Times, writing about health, science and innovation.

Conflict of Interest Statement: The authors have no financial or other conflicts of interest for this health claim summary.

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