There are so many amazing uses of peppermint and probably even more health benefits of peppermint. It turns out that science has uncovered previously unknown facts about how mint can actually help improve health.
Peppermint is both rejuvenating and refreshing – it not only strengthens the immune system but also eases mental exhaustion. Peppermint gives you energy when you are feeling sluggish or slow.
According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, peppermint is used as a dietary supplement for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), other digestive problems, the common cold, headaches, and other conditions. Peppermint oil is also used topically (applied to the skin) for headache, muscle aches, itching, and other problems. Peppermint leaf is available in teas, capsules, and as a liquid extract.
Peppermint Limits Allergic Reactions
When ingested, mint has the ability to reduce some of the symptoms of allergy by reducing inflammation in the areas associated with the reaction. Once the inflammation goes down, you will experience some relief. That makes mint great for coughs and other issues that can be aggravated by harsh, sudden contractions of the muscles in the surrounding area.
Peppermint Keeps Muscle Spasms Under Control
When your throat is red and irritated, the muscles around the neck and chest can become sore from the act of coughing that has been brought on by initial irritations and inflammation along the esophagus. You’ve probably noticed that your throat and chest become very tired and sore after an entire day of coughing, so this is how mint came into use.
Thousands of years ago, people discovered that mint has the ability to reduce
inflammation, as well as the ability to calm spastic activity in muscles. This in turn will help prevent the resulting inflammation that further exacerbates the problem. Today, herbs like mint are tied very closely with hot drinks like tea.
Peppermint Helps Fight the Effects of Colds
When you catch a typical cold, there are so many individual effects that influence how sick you feel. Irritations, soreness, difficulties breathing, and overactive mucus production are just a few of the immensely inconvenient symptom that you could experience, but the introduction of mint can help you to soothe away a large portion of most annoying effects caused by illness.
When the mint works to reduce swelling, you will be more comfortable and able to rest. This will lead to decreased disturbances in your chest and throat. The activity that is involved in coughing uncontrollably is a major waste of energy, and places a huge strain on your system, which makes you more susceptible to sinking further into illness, so the last thing you want would be to have trouble resting and getting a good night of sleep.
Peppermint Keeps Your Mouth Healthy
The human mouth contains a vast array of bacteria that it uses to help digest food and send signals to various systems. Sometimes the type of bacteria that resides in the mouth can become imbalanced, making the mouth a breeding ground for bad bacteria that can cause illness. A really good way to combat these types of situations would be to find a more natural means of limiting the growth of harmful bacteria, and introducing
something that can help the helpful bacteria increase in population.
Mint is an excellent way to achieve oral health balance because it can naturally clean, and help protect your mouth. Adding mint to your drinks, and keeping fresh sprigs around to chew on can help change the pH of your mouth and make it more hospitable to the helpful bacteria as well. Not only that, but the natural scent of mint can help instantly freshen your breath without adding harsh acidic sugars to the mix. Chewing mint also helps provides an easy environment in which the mouth can make repairs.
Peppermint Improves Labored Breathing
When you’re sick with a severe cold, one of the very worst things can be the way that your breathing passages get blocked off by swelling and inflammation of different types. This can make daily activities and even sleep a terrible ordeal. This cyclic issue will compound the issue because you’re likely to get even more unhealthy in your weakened state.
Due to the anti-inflammatory nature of mint, the reddened and swollen areas inside your respiratory system are likely to be soothed with a very short time of ingesting some fresh mint. One great way to get these benefits would be to add some fresh mint to your tea. The hot liquid and vapor can be extremely penetrating and effective.
Peppermint Has Essential Vitamins and Minerals
Herbs are amazing plants on multiple levels. Not only do they add massive amounts of flavor to the favorite dishes of the world and grant fresh breath up those who eat it, they also give people some of the very important trace minerals that aid in the development of the human body. Phosphorus, iron, calcium are among the most well-known, along with vitamins C and A, which are ultra-important for the repair and grown of skin cells.
These vitamins and minerals also make up some parts of the cell walls in your circulatory system, which is absolutely important for living. Fresh mint is more popular than ever, and having it means having a healthy body, so you can bet that you will easily find all of the foods that you can put with it to gain maximum benefits.
Peppermint Improves Digestion
Do you ever get stomach aches after dinner? Some people suffer from a sensitive stomach all of their lives, and this can be very difficult for those who are planning to gather at family function or special dinners for their job. If you are a person who suffers from a digestive disorder, then you know the careful planning that has to come into play around those types of events. Because a careless dining experience could possibly end
you night and leave you wishing that you had just stayed home.
Mint contains a few different agents that can help to soothe the stomach and digestive tract in very effective ways. That can help prevent the bloating and painful reaction that can sometimes occur due to various intolerances that have arisen over time. This is especially true for people who suffer from the types of gastrointestinal changes that take place later in life.
Peppermint Helps with Weight Loss
If you’ve ever tried to lose weight, then you know how challenging that it can be. One way to help set yourself up for a successful weight loss would be to make sure that you’re drinking plenty of teas. One of the best tea for weight loss is mint tea, and it leaves you smelling fresh. The usefulness of tea has been well documented by science, so you can be assured that adding a cup of tea to each day will definitely help you to get where you want to go in your health goals.
Another strategy would be to pair mint with other foods that are known for improving health like lemons. You can try making an infused water with lemon wedges and mint. This is a classic way to get the body ready for a new healthy course and make it easier for you to lose weight in a healthy, natural way.
Peppermint Improves Memory
Have you forgotten anything today? The human mind is a complex network of stored experiences and emotions that make up who we are. In that way, it could be said that if you forget too much of your life, then it’s possible that you could begin to lose who you are. Massive amounts of research on memory and how it can be influenced has been collected over the last few years, and science has discovered that mint has the ability to help increase recall, and improve the way that memories are stored. If you’ve been having trouble remembering things, then you could try keeping some mint plants around with some fresh cuts to chew on. Maybe that will give you the needed extra boost to help you pass a test, or keep important things on your mind.
Peppermint for Liver Support
When you’re feeling tired all of the time, and you don’t have the energy to do your normal everyday tasks, it could mean that you are having some serious issues with your metabolic functions. The liver is the center of many of these processes that help you to feel energized, so wanting to take good care of your liver is essential. Mint contains several of the body’s most important vitamins and minerals that all your body to be able to more properly repair itself. When your liver is working better, you’ll be feeling a lot better.
Peppermint Repels Some Flying Insects
Flying insects like mosquitoes and other pests can plague your lifestyle and make you feel miserable. Some flying insects can even carry terrible diseases that lead to lifelong illnesses. It would make sense then, that you would do everything in your power to protect both you and your family from what could potentially be a life-threatening situation. Even without any of that, who wants to be bitten every time they walk out their
door?
It turns out that mint is a plant that gives off a smell that is unpleasant to mosquitoes. The only catch is that in order for it to have maximum potency, you have to get it in the form of an essential oil. The next best thing would be to cut it and rub it’s juices directly onto the surface of your skin.
Peppermint Might Help You Cope with Depression
Depression is a very difficult thing for people all over the world. It affects a large portion of both adults and children. Every experience of each person is completely their own, so treating the difficulties of depression are very tough due to the extremely personal nature of each person who is suffering with the disorder. There are however some things that can be universally appreciated by all people, even at the most difficult times.
Some of this is due to the way the human genome was developed, so some of those things that caused joy in our ancestors are still good for us today. Mint is one of the few plants that gives off a scent that interacts deploy with connection in the brain and can produce feelings of positivity. Studies have suggested that keeping mint around can improve your moods by a noticeable degree.
Peppermint Alleviates Gas and Bloating
Most people have had an embarrassing experience involving flatulence. Some foods can cause a person to become swollen with gas. This can lead to the sudden and uncontrolled expulsion of these gases, which can be very unpleasant for anyone unfortunate enough to be caught nearby. If you’ve ever hoped to find a natural route to
help avoid these situations, then mint might be your answer.
Peppermint Helps With Pain Management
Have you even had a small cut that just makes you want to scream? In ancient times, people who had access to mint frequently used it on small cuts and scrapes for pain relief. It also has some antibacterial agents that help prevent some small infections.
Studies have shown that this is more than tribal thinking and that mint can actually limit pain response. They’ve even discovered that ingesting it has some pain relieving effects as well. What else can you think of that can be done with mint?
