It’s a great day to learn about the many health benefits of peppermint.
What is peppermint?
Peppermint is an aromatic herb that has been used for centuries for medicinal purposes.
It is a cross between water mint and spearmint, and it smells strongly of menthol.
The scientific name for peppermint is Mentha piperita.
The plant itself typically grows to be about three feet tall with serrated leaves and purple-hued flowers.
The leaves are generally harvested in late summer or early fall, when they are at their peak flavor concentration.
Peppermint is used for many things, from adding flavor to food to treating headaches and nausea with its antispasmodic properties.
Here’s a list of the health benefits of peppermint.
- Peppermint may help with sinusitis.
- Digestive issues may be helped by using peppermint.
- Peppermint may aid in the relief of muscle pain.
- It may be beneficial to the gallbladder and liver.
- Peppermint may help with skin care.
- It could benefit oral health.
- Peppermint may help you sleep better.
- It could have respiratory benefits.
- Peppermint may help you lose weight.
- Peppermint oil might help soothe headaches.
- Peppermint may boost energy levels.
- It may help with menstrual cramps.
- Peppermint could be antibacterial.
- Concentration may be improved.
- Peppermint may aid in immune system stimulation.
- Cholesterol levels may be reduced.
- Peppermint essential oil has the potential to relieve stress.
- It could be a natural bug repellent.
Please keep reading if you want to learn more.
1. Peppermint Can Help With Sinusitis
Some people think that just breathing in the steam from peppermint tea can help with many sinus problems by breaking up mucus.
Although there is no proof that sniffing peppermint clears nasal passages, it won’t hurt to try.
2. Using Peppermint May Aid In Digestive Issues
Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, can be treated safely with peppermint oil.
You can consume peppermint tea or use peppermint oil to reduce colonic spasms and gas.
It can relax your intestinal muscles to allow gas to pass.
It also eases your abdominal pain.
Also, people think that peppermint oil works by calming down the muscles that line our digestive tract.
This makes it easier for food to move through the body, reducing pain and improving digestion better.
If you’re having an upset stomach or indigestion, try drinking a cup of peppermint tea.
3. Peppermint May Help Relieve Muscle Pain
Peppermint oil is a natural pain reliever and muscle relaxant.
When it comes to relieving aching backs and sore muscles, it is beneficial.
Additionally, it might make you more awake and even improve your performance.
For this reason, some sportsmen use peppermint.
4. May Support The Gallbladder And Liver
Drinking peppermint tea may help break down the small gallstones into smaller pieces.
It may also stimulate the flow of bile from your gallbladder to your liver.
5. Peppermint May Promote Better Skin Care
Because peppermint has relaxing and cooling properties, it can be applied topically to treat rashes, hives, and poison ivy.
It can also be worthwhile to incorporate it into your normal beauty routine.
Because peppermint is antibacterial and antiseptic, it can add moisture, soften and clean dry skin, and kill bacteria.
Cucumber water is also beneficial to skin health. You may find out more about its health benefits by going here.
6. May Help With Oral Health (Popular Effect Of Peppermint)
Using peppermint as a mouthwash stops biofilm from forming, which is linked to tooth decay.
It’s also used to freshen your breath and whiten your teeth.
Peppermint has been seen to kill germs that can lead to bad breath.
You can add a pinch of peppermint powder to your toothpaste when you brush your teeth to get this effect.
Or you can just use toothpaste with peppermint.
This is probably why most toothpaste companies have a peppermint version of the product.
7. Peppermint May Provide Better Sleep
Since peppermint tea is inherently caffeine-free, it is a great choice before bed.
Also, because peppermint can relax muscles, it might help you calm down before bed.
There is little scientific evidence to support the claim that peppermint tea promotes sleep.
It is, however, a caffeine-free beverage that may help you relax before going to bed.
8. May Have Respiratory Benefits
Peppermint has been a popular flavor for candy and tea for a long time, but it may also help your lungs in ways you didn’t expect.
Researchers just found out that the rosmarinic acid in peppermint can help treat upper respiratory infections and reduce swelling.
The research team administered an extract from peppermint leaves to mice with allergic asthma.
They found that the mice who received the extract had reduced inflammation of their airways compared to those who did not receive any treatment.
The researchers believe this is because rosmarinic acid acts as an anti-inflammatory agent, inhibiting certain cytokines associated with airway inflammation.
9. Including Peppermint To Your Diet May Support Losing Weight
Peppermint tea is a drink with no calories that can satisfy your sweet tooth and make you feel full.
It is therefore a wise decision if you’re aiming to lose weight.
More research on peppermint and weight loss is nonetheless required.
10. May Help Relieve Headaches
Peppermint may have muscle-relaxing and pain-relieving qualities.
These qualities can help with certain types of headaches.
A study on people with migraines showed that applying peppermint oil to their foreheads reduced the pain after 2 hours.
The comparison was made to another group using a placebo oil.
The smell seems to be able to relax your muscles and take some of the pain away from your headache.
However, there are not many supporting scientific studies that prove this.
Kola nuts may also help alleviate headache pain. You may learn more about its health advantages by clicking here.
11. Peppermint May Improve Energy
Using peppermint oil can help with fatigue and daytime sleepiness.
In a study conducted with young people taking cognitive tests, those who had peppermint experienced less fatigue.
12. May Help With Menstrual Cramps
There are many helpful benefits that the muscle-relaxing properties of peppermint can provide.
One of these is menstrual cramping.
In a study with women having painful periods, the use of peppermint extract capsules showed the same effect as using a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication.
The intensity and duration of the pain were reduced considerably.
13. Peppermint May Have Antibacterial Properties
There are different studies that will tell you that peppermint can fight different types of bacteria that are related to contagious illnesses and food-borne illnesses.
This effect was clearly shown in peppermint oil.
More studies are needed if the same effect will do well with peppermint tea.
There are also studies that say peppermint can reduce several types of bacteria that are commonly found in your mouth.
(Essential Oils, Their Therapeutic Properties, And Implication In Dentistry)
14. May Improve Concentration
Peppermint tea may help you be more alert and remember things better, which can help you focus better.
As mentioned earlier, this same study showed positive results, where 24 people performed better in cognitive tests after they were given peppermint oil capsules.
In another study, they noticed that peppermint oil had better memory and alertness effects compared to other popular essential oils.
(Modulation Of Cognitive Performance And Mood By Aromas Of Peppermint And Ylang-Ylang)
15. May Help Boost Immunity (My Favorite Health Benefit Of Peppermint)
According to one study, the menthol in peppermint has antimicrobial properties that may inhibit pathogens.
Peppermint oil also contains antibacterial properties that may stop the growth of bacteria.
Besides the two mentioned above, peppermint is also rich in nutrients that can boost your immune system.
It contains B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and sodium.
These nutrients help fight different kinds of diseases and are needed for your body to work properly.
Mussels may also be good for your immune system. You may find out more about its health benefits by going here.
16. May Lower Cholesterol Levels
An animal study showed peppermint extract was able to lower bad or LDL cholesterol levels.
Most of the studies similar to this are conducted on animals, so more research should still be done.
Hopefully, it may also have the same significant effect on humans.
17. Peppermint May Be A Stress Reliever
Peppermint leaves contain menthol, which can act as a sedative and a muscle relaxant.
Drinking peppermint tea regularly may help you relieve some of that daily stress.
18. May Be A Natural Bug Repellant
Peppermint’s scent seems to be irritating to certain bugs, like cockroaches and mosquitoes.
This makes it a good bug repellant.
Conclusion
These are just some of the health benefits of peppermint.
There are some more, but there were too few details to include on the list.
Peppermint is quite common and popular because of the oil, the tea, and the fact that it is an ingredient in gum and toothpaste.
My favorite health benefit of peppermint is that it can help boost our immune system.
What’s your favorite peppermint health benefit on my list?
Just like any of my other articles, you should first consult with your doctor or other health professional before consuming peppermint for its health benefits or for any other reason.
This is especially important if you have health problems that might make it dangerous for you to eat peppermint.
If you’re looking for more culinary herbs with health benefits, you can also check out my other articles here.
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Thank you!