Peppermint is a noted digestive aid that stimulates the salivary glands, helps eliminate nausea, eases heartburn, promotes burping, and calms stomach spasms and cramps. Because of its action on the gastric lining, peppermint actually shortens the amount of time food spends in the stomach. This herb is traditionally used to cleanse and strengthen the entire body, including the heart muscle. Because of its stimulating and warming properties, peppermint tea is a favorite old-time remedy for chills, colds, colic, and rheumatism. It can even help relieve the nauseated feeling that often accompanies a migraine or “sick” headache.

DESCRIPTION AND PARTS USED

Herbal BeautyBotanically speaking, peppermint is a hybrid that falls somewhere between spearmint and watermint. Most of the members of the mint family grow wild and like wet feet. Left on their own to choose their environment, these herbs favor the banks of brooks and streams or low damp meadows, but they do very well under cultivation as long as the soil is rich and moist. Of all the mints, peppermint is the most widely used. For the home-brewing of peppermint tea, the leaves and flowering tops are used.

HISTORICAL NOTES

Medical prescriptions inscribed on old papyrus scrolls give evidence that peppermint has been used in Egypt since ancient times. As an effective medicinal and flavorful culinary herb, mint is in common use in both Middle Eastern and Asian lands today.

The benefits of peppermint have been appreciated on this side of the ocean for a very long time, too. Peppermint has been listed in the United States Pharmacopoeia for mere than 150 years.

SCIENTIFIC FINDINGS

Everyone is familiar with the taste of peppermint, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise to learn that the herb contains menthol, along with volatile oils, menthone, methyl acetate, tannic acid, terpenes, and vitamin C. It has been determined that oil of peppermint has very strong antispasmodic action. This property alone makes it valuable for relieving pains in the digestive tract, as well as cramps in the abdomen. Pharmacists often use peppermint in compound medicines because of its well-known ability to make disagreeable- tasting drugs palatable.

TRADITIONAL USE

Internal. To brew a flavorful cup of peppermint tea, use 1 heaping teaspoon (1/6 ounce or 4 grams) of dried herb parts to 8 ounces of freshly boiled water. Steep, strain, and allow to cool. As a medicinal drink, peppermint tea is traditionally taken cold for the relief of nausea, headache, heartburn, and flatulence.

External. Several sources I consulted claim that the bruised fresh leaves have a slight anesthetic effect. To relieve localized pain, pluck a few fresh leaves from the peppermint thriving in your garden, crinkle them up, smooth them back out, and apply to theaffected area.

CONSIDERATIONS

Peppermint is considered perfectly harmless. It may be used freely.

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Peppermint (Mentha piperita)