Why is it Harmful to Drink Sage During Pregnancy?

Pregnancy is a period in which you experience many physiological and psychological differences at the same time. As a mother-to-be, in this period, you begin to be more careful and attentive than you have ever been in your life.

Your health, and therefore your baby’s health, becomes more important than anything else. You want to consume the healthiest foods , be alive to your baby, and feed your baby with useful and organic foods to ensure a healthy development of your baby.

Maybe you think that it is the right time to benefit from the healing of herbs that you have never heard of in your life; However, there is a very important point that you should not miss.

Is every plant suitable for the gestation period? Can these plants be objectionable because of the effects you do not know while you want to benefit?

Here, sage is one of the herbs popular among pregnant women because of its benefits. So what are the consequences of sage consumption during pregnancy?

What are the Benefits of Sage?

The history of the sage plant extends from the middle ages to the present day and its benefits have been used in many health-related issues for centuries.

Thanks to the rich minerals in its content, its antioxidant capacity is very high.
While it supports the development of brain functions, it also strengthens memory.
It is useful in balancing the blood pressure of people with low blood pressure because it has the feature of increasing blood pressure.
It is a natural tranquilizer. It is good against stress and fatigue.
It helps to eliminate cold and flu symptoms.
It has a positive effect on gum and tonsil inflammations.
In menopausal women, it can be preferred to relieve hot flashes.

As you can see, the benefits of sage are endless; however, there are many reasons why you should not prefer sage during pregnancy.

For example, while you want to benefit from the relaxing effect of sage during your pregnancy, you may have high blood pressure due to its blood pressure increasing feature. In other words, an effect that can be seen as a benefit in normal time can return as a harm to you during pregnancy.

For this reason, it is recommended by all experts to be careful not only for the sage plant, but also for the health of the mother and baby while you are treating yourself with all other plants.

Relationship Between Sage and Estrogen Hormone

Sage has a phytoestrogen effect due to the active ingredients it contains. In other words, it is a plant-derived estrogen. Phytoestrogens, which have similar effects to the estrogen hormone, should be used with caution. Since phytoestrogens trigger the secretion of estrogen, they can cause estrogen excess in people with high hormone levels. Estrogen excess can also have some side effects.

What kind of results does an excess of estrogen hormone have?

Although the hormone estrogen is a hormone that affects women’s lives to a great extent, this hormone also plays a big role in your pregnancy period. Estrogen, which can cause serious things even on a woman under normal conditions, can also cause problems for pregnant women in case of excessive secretion.

The increased estrogen level in the body causes your body to retain too much water and salt. In other words, as your estrogen level rises above the level it should be, edema accumulates in your body.
Excessive accumulation of edema in the body can lead to clot formation in the lungs or stone formation in the gallbladder.
Estrogen hormone causes obesity, which we call pear type. It increases the accumulation of adipose tissue in your hip and hip area. This leads to disproportionate weight gain.
High estrogen hormone has a stimulating effect on cancer cells.
Excess estrogen causes an increase in the body by stimulating pain and cramps. This is the reason for the contractions and pains during menstrual periods.
During pregnancy, your estrogen level is 50 times higher than normal. When your hormone level is this high, consuming a plant that will increase the hormone secretion will bring along a series of problems.

Possible Effects of Sage Consumption in Pregnancy

As can be expected, the sage plant will be a risky plant for the pregnancy period as it can change estrogen levels due to the phytoestrogenic effect of the active ingredients in its content. If we classify these risks basically,

Consuming sage in the first months of pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage.
Consuming sage in the last months of pregnancy causes the risk of premature birth.

We can classify it as Apart from these possible risks when consuming sage, there may be other problems that may be encountered during pregnancy.

dry mouth
increase in nausea
Inflammation or irritation in the mouth
dizziness
low blood sugar
Fatigue, weakness

These are the main problems.

Consuming Sage In The First Months Increases Low Risk!

The first months of pregnancy are the most dangerous months for expectant mothers. Because your body tries to adapt to this change. Your body chemistry changes, even starts to restructure. Hormone levels vary and try to prepare the right environment for your baby.

The estrogen hormone, as the biggest part of this study, ensures that the baby clings to the intrauterine wall. Drinking sage during pregnancy will cause the uterine walls to relax and make it difficult for the embryo to attach to the wall.

Because an active substance called Thujone found in the sage plant has a stimulating effect on the uterus. For this reason, the sage you consume in the first months of your pregnancy will bring the risk of miscarriage.

Does Sage Consumed During Pregnancy Miscarriage The Baby?

Unfortunately, there is such a possibility, since sage can disrupt blood pressure and the chemical structure of the uterus, consuming sage can cause miscarriage.

Unfortunately, there is no clear scientific study on pregnant women who consume sage. However, the American Pregnancy Association states that sage and other similar herbs (mistletoe, senna, rosemary, aloe vera, lemon balm, valerian, etc.) should not be consumed during pregnancy.

Don’t Face Premature Birth While You’re Trying To Relax In The Last Months!

Due to its soothing and relaxing properties, sage can be seen as an herbal supplement for expectant mothers who are about to give birth and are excited .

For the onset of labor, your estrogen level must reach a certain threshold. When you come to the last stages of pregnancy, the estrogen level in your body reaches its highest point and your birth adventure begins.

However, while your body and hormones continue on their way, sage consumed in your last months may expose you to the possibility of premature birth.

Because the active ingredients in sage will trigger your contractions. It will prepare you for premature birth by raising your already elevated hormones ahead of time due to the phytoestrogen effect.

In addition, there may be a possibility of increasing the risk of bleeding due to the factors in its content and your pregnancy may enter a risky process. For this reason, experts do not recommend using sage in order to avoid the possibility of miscarriage in the first months, and they do not recommend it to prevent premature birth in the last months.

Don’t Say ‘There’s Nothing Happening With Drinking Too Much, Small Amount of Benefits’!

As mothers who try to prevent edema formation by controlling caffeine consumption during pregnancy, you may be looking for the remedy in herbal teas. ‘Excessive amount of everything is harmful.’ We recommend that you do not think about what harm can come from a glass a day. Many obstetricians share the same opinion about the consumption of herbal teas.

Consuming sage during pregnancy is harmful. Considering the health of your baby, you should not take such a risk. Moreover, it is not recommended to use such herbs even after birth, that is, during the period when you are breastfeeding your baby.

Sage can have a milk-reducing effect. When you want to increase my milk, you may have to breastfeed your baby for a shorter time than you think. When you need such herbal supplements, you should definitely consult your doctor and get information from a specialist.