Refreshing findings about two classic flavors that could deliver delicious payoff—or, at least inspire good hydration.
New Research: Drinking Juice from These 2 Herbs May Improve Blood Sugar and Liver Health
Published on Jul. 01, 2025
If you’ve been getting your gardening on, you might be in your glory. Even if you’re not the greatest green thumb, gathering away dry leaves and pulling up weeds helps you relax into summer a little more.
The warm weather and physical activity of gardening can also be fair excuses to indulge in a sip of juice, if you’re usually conscious of the sugar content. Now, researchers have discovered that two plants—which are often grown in herb gardens and used in many home kitchens—might assist with lowering blood sugar or improving liver function.
Citing the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and metabolic-regulating properties found in both sage and peppermint leaves and flowers, seven European researchers who represented fields of pharmacy, chemistry, and biochemistry recently set out to discover the potential effects of “traditionally prepared” sage and peppermint juices.
Their animal study, published March 2025 in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Foods, focused on a 10-day trial involving mice. The mice—which had normal blood sugar levels—were either given saline or doses of peppermint or sage juices at different levels corresponding to their body weight.
The juices were prepared through a precise process. To start, 100 grams of dried sage flowers or peppermint leaves were combined with one liter of tap water before filtering, lemon juice and sugar additions, and straining occurred.
Blood glucose levels (also known as blood sugar) in the mice involved “significantly reduced” after receiving peppermint or sage juice for 10 days. Because both juices contain sugar when traditionally prepared, the study notes that the lowest doses of the juices, which naturally contained the smallest amounts of sugar, offered the “most effective anti-hyperglycemic effects.”
Tests were also done to measure two levels—alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST)—usually associated with liver damage. By the trial’s end, nearly every group of mice given either sage juice or peppermint juice ended up with lower levels of these than the mice who’d consumed saline.
Ultimately, sage juice and peppermint juice both displayed “significant effects on glucose metabolism and antioxidant defense in experimental animals,” concluded the study.
Though the team suggests the two juices could offer “potential therapeutic applications” for metabolic and oxidative stress-related disorders management, this study was the first to explore these juices and their biological effects. Confirming this research in human trials would be an important next step.
But even if you’re not keen on sage or peppermint as a juice flavor, one mainstream takeaway could be the dosage effects that the researchers observed. Look at it like this: If you’re judicious about sugar consumption—which, in excess, can also affect the liver—one hydration inspiration could be to dilute some juice in water to enjoy the flavor minus such a glucose surge. Also, look for the purest juice you can, avoiding additives and “natural flavors”…and, remember that a few sprigs of mint can make a yummy garnish to flavor your water.
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