The burning of sage has long been a spiritual ritual — but new research shows it can have more benefits than you might think.
According to KAMR, The research shows that burning sage, also referred to as smudging, in a room for an hour reduced airborne bacteria by 94 percent.
It also showed that the room stayed almost entirely bacteria-free for 24 hours. Some strains of harmful bacteria could not be detected for up to 30 days.
Sage user Natalie Allery says she notices a difference when she burns sage. "If one of my children gets sick, we are not all getting sick. It seems to at least eliminate some of it once it is already in our house, and it does it lifts the energy," Allery says. "You can feel inside you that there is something that just needs to be done and opening the windows just isn't enough."
According to a holistic health website, other benefits of burning sage include repelling insects, improving mood and reducing stress and anxiety, and improving intuition. It's also been linked to helping with chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
Sanford Health Dietician Rachel Iverson adds that sage contains antioxidants that can support cancer prevention. She says sage also goes well with a Thanksgiving turkey.