Peppermint is more than the flavor of your gum or toothpaste. It’s an herb (known as Mentha piperita) that can settle an upset stomach…clear up nasal congestion…and ease joint and muscle pain. In addition to tea, peppermint is available in essential oil and capsule form and can help a variety of health problems…
WHY IT HELPS
An herb that is a hybrid of two mints—spearmint (Mentha spicata) and water mint (Mentha aquatica)—peppermint’s active compounds are menthol and menthone. Our nerve endings respond to menthol, which results in a cooling sensation that helps to calm inflammation.
WHAT PEPPERMINT CAN DO
Peppermint can help with the following…
Mild digestive ailments, such as cramps, bloating or gas. Drink a tea using one to two teaspoons of dried peppermint leaf per eight ounces of hot water, one to three times daily. Peppermint also is available in tea bags.
Colds and coughs. The menthol in peppermint is a decongestant that helps ease breathing and opens respiratory passages. Drinking peppermint tea (as above) can help.
Headaches. Apply two drops of peppermint oil, one to three times daily, to the forehead or temples. Using more than two drops can irritate the skin.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Peppermint oil in capsule form can reduce IBS symptoms such as abdominal pain and gas. Consider taking one or two enteric-coated peppermint oil capsules two or three times daily between meals. (This coating enables the capsules to pass through the stomach to the intestine.)
Sore muscles and joints. Rub in cream containing peppermint to relieve pain. Brand to try: Badger Sore Muscle Rub—Cooling Blend (www.BadgerBalm.com).
Caution: Don’t use peppermint internally if you have heartburn because it may aggravate the condition. In essential oil form, peppermint can cause an asthma flare-up in some patients with asthma.
