scored 95/100
Also known as dried sage, salvia officinalis, common sage, garden sage
Dried sage is a deeply aromatic herb with one of the highest vitamin K contents of any food, plus carnosic acid and rosmarinic acid with neuroprotective and antioxidant activity.
0.4 g net carbs after fiber.
Representative amounts for this food, not measured for this item. Real content varies widely by variety, ripeness and storage.
These are the scored components, not a sum: the published score also reflects normalisation across the catalog, so the parts above will not add to 95.
Less a 1.0 anti-nutrient penalty (moderate saturated fat).
Sage (Salvia officinalis) is an evergreen Mediterranean shrub whose botanical name—from the Latin salvere, 'to heal'—reflects two thousand years of use as a medicinal and culinary herb. Its silvery, pebbled leaves carry a warm, camphoraceous aroma central to stuffings, sausages, and brown-butter sauces. Drying makes sage extraordinarily nutrient-dense: per 100 g it provides roughly 315 kcal, 10.6 g protein, 61 g carbohydrate (~40 g fiber), and a powerhouse mineral profile including ~1652 mg calcium, ~28 mg iron, ~428 mg magnesium, ~1070 mg potassium, ~3 mg manganese, and ~0.76 mg copper. Sage is among the very richest dietary sources of vitamin K, supplying roughly 1714 mcg per 100 g, with notable vitamin A and vitamin B6 as well. Pharmacologically, sage is defined by its volatile oil and phenolic diterpenes—carnosic acid and carnosol—together with rosmarinic acid, ursolic acid, and the monoterpene ketones thujone and camphor. These compounds underlie sage's well-studied antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cholinesterase-inhibiting actions, the latter linked to memory and cognitive support in clinical trials. As with other dried herbs, culinary servings are small, but few foods rival sage's combination of vitamin K density and neuroactive phenolics.
Carnosic acid, rosmarinic acid, and other constituents inhibit acetylcholinesterase, raising synaptic acetylcholine, with clinical trials showing improved attention and recall
Very high vitamin K activates osteocalcin and matrix Gla protein, supporting bone mineralization and inhibiting arterial calcification
Carnosol and carnosic acid are potent lipid-soluble antioxidants that scavenge free radicals and suppress NF-κB-driven inflammation
Sage's volatile oils have a traditional and trial-supported antihidrotic effect, reducing hot flashes and night sweats
Sage's cognitive and antioxidant compounds suit daily consumption with no specific circadian timing.
Fasting-compatible
Thujone is only a concern in concentrated essential oil or excessive medicinal doses, not culinary use; seasoning amounts are negligible in calories.
Per 100 g of the default form. Bars show how much higher or lower sage (dried) is than the average across 76 peer foods in this category. Green means a favorable direction; amber means the opposite.
Sage (Dried) is classified as a herbs & spices. Dried sage is a deeply aromatic herb with one of the highest vitamin K contents of any food, plus carnosic acid and rosmarinic acid with neuroprotective and antioxidant activity.
Sage (Dried) scores 95/100 in Formulate, making it an exceptional choice. Its strongest contributions come from Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Iron. The score blends nutrient density, fiber, healthy fats, protein quality, bioactive compounds, and glycemic impact.
Not particularly. A 2 g serving provides about 0.2 g of protein (~0% of the 50 g daily value).
Not really. A 2 g serving provides about 0.8 g of fiber (~3% of the 28 g daily value).
In a 2 g serving, sage (dried) is highest in Vitamin K (~29% DV).
Yes — it fits comfortably in most keto plans. A 2 g serving has about 0.4 g of net carbs (1.2 g total minus 0.8 g fiber).
Best any time of day. Sage's cognitive and antioxidant compounds suit daily consumption with no specific circadian timing.
A typical serving is around 2 g (~6 kcal), based on the FDA's Reference Amount Customarily Consumed for this food category. There's no fixed daily target — most adults benefit from rotating sage (dried) alongside several other herbs & spices sources.
Sage (Dried) pairs nicely with: Pair with butter or olive oil because sage's carnosic acid and carnosol are lipid-soluble and bloom in warm fat; Combine with fatty meats like pork and poultry where its phenolics also retard fat oxidation and rancidity; Use with winter squash and beans because its warm aroma balances earthy, starchy foods.
Moderate saturated fat.
Encyclopedia entries that supply the same signature nutrients sage (dried) contributes. Click through to see clinical dose ranges, evidence quality, and bioavailable forms.
These are the nutrients sage (dried)contributes meaningfully toward (≥10% DV per 100 g serving). Click one to see what it does in the body, which supplements concentrate it, and which other foods are top sources.