Using essential oils for fertility is an enjoyable way to work toward healing fertility issues, promoting reproductive health as well as reducing stress. As you read through my interview with Stephanie Fritz, licensed midwife and certified professional midwife, you are presented with a special recipe blend (found here), that she recommends for help with various fertility issues. I want to talk about each EO in this fertility blend and share with you the wonderful properties of each.
So today we are discussing Clary Sage
Clary sage (Salvia sclarea) is a perennial herb that grows during the summer months and is a close relative of common garden sage. Although it originated in the regions of Southern France, Italy and Syria, today it is cultivated around the world. This versatile herb gets its name from the Latin word “clarus,” which means “clear.” It was referred to as “clear eyes” during the Middle Ages as it provides outstanding benefits for your eyes as well as your nervous system, digestion and kidneys. To extract the valuable oil from the plant, it undergos steam distillation which produces a colorless or pale yellowish-green oil, with a sweet, nutty and balsamic aroma.
What are some of the main benefits of this herb?
Known as the “woman’s oil”, it is believed that clary sage essential oil influences your estrogen levels and helps your body regulate its hormones naturally. It also helps to sooth nerves and balance emotions due to its high concentrations of esters (about 72 percent), which means it has antispasmodic and sedative properties. It’s very effective in reducing menstrual cramps and due to its estrogenic effects is an extremely effective uterine tonic and helps to regulate the menstrual cycle. It is also very effective in treating depression and anxiety.
And as an added bonus it’s a libido booster – something many may be struggling as the task of getting pregnant becomes more of a schedule meeting than a romantic interlude.
In addition, the oil from this plant may also provide the following benefits:
Clary sage essential oil is considered to aid respiratory, muscular, and uterine systems during labor. Clary sage is also an analgesic for reducing pain for a more comfortable delivery.
Helps treat symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome
Assists in regulating blood pressure
Helps relax the bronchial tubes of asthma sufferers and treats respiratory like colds, bronchitis and sore throat
Helps address acne and oily skin
Improves memory and helps stimulate mental activity
A few words of caution:
While clary sage may have a beneficial effect for childbirth, it should be avoided by women during pregnancy because it stimulates menstrual flow. Use of this particular oil in large quantities can cause headaches and drowsiness. Some people also state that when used during aromatherapy massage they experience euphoria upon use, comparable to that of cannabis.
With its powerful sedative properties, clary sage oil can also enhance the intoxicating and narcotic effects of alcohol and drugs, so those should be avoided when using this oil.
Additionally, people with low blood pressure should also avoid using this herbal oil because of its hypotensive effects.
Sarah Clark empowers couples to discover how lifestyle and diet can dramatically impact their chances of conceiving. She was diagnosed with premature ovarian failure at 28 and had both her kids with donor eggs. Not until years later did she discover that the root cause of her infertility was a food intolerance. Join the Free Fab Fertile Support Group on Facebook for mini-challenges, motivation and inspiration!
References:
- 1.http://roberttisserand.com/2010/04/is-clary-sage-oil-estrogenic/
- 2.http://articles.mercola.com/herbal-oils/clary-sage-oil.aspx
- 3.http://www.aromaticscience.com/category/clary-sage/
- 4.Ernst E. The Desktop Guide to Complementary and Alternative Medicine: An Evidence-Based Approach. Edinburgh: Mosby; 2001:130-132.
- 5.McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, editors. Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press; 1997
- 6.Mills S, Bone K, editors. The Essential Guide to Herbal Safety. London, UK: Elsevier Health Sciences; 2005
