Peppermint
Parts Usually Used
Leaves, oil, and flowering tops
Description of Plant(s) and Culture
A hybrid perennial plant; 1-3 feet tall; the erect, square, branching stem is tinged with reddish-purple (not green as in spearmint) and has opposite, dark green, ovate to lanceo-late, serrate leaves. Axillary and terminal spikes of small, purple (violet) flowers in loose, interrupted terminal spikes, arranged in whorls, appear from July to frost. The whole plant has the characteristic smell of menthol.
Spearmint smells like chewing gum; peppermint smells like toothpaste. Other mints, used similarly to peppermint: spearmint (M. spicata), water mint (M. aquatica), and curled mint (M. crispa).
Where Found
Mostly cultivated but also found wild in moist soil in the eastern United States and in Europe.
Medicinal Properties
Diaphoretic, antiviral, aromatic, carminative, chologogue (stimulates flow of bile), stomachic, calmative, mild alterative, stimulant, rubefacient, nervine, analgesic
Biochemical Information
Menthol, menthone, fasmone, methyl acetate, volatile oils, tannic acid, terpenes, and vitamin C.
Legends, Myths and Stories
The Paiute and Shoshone Indians used a mint (Mentha penardi) known to them as peppermint (Indian name “Paquanah”). They made a tea from the leaves and stems after drying, to relieve gas pains. The Chinese use an herb (Mentha Arvensis) known to them as peppermint (Chinese name Po-ho or Fan-ho). The plant grows everywhere in China. Peppermint grows very prolifically and should be in every herb garden; one of the oldest and best tasting household remedies.
Well known for relieving indigestion and colic. Peppermint is a general stimulant; peppermint tea will act more powerfully on the system than any liquor stimulant. It will quickly diffuse itself through the system and bring back to the body its natural warmth and glow without the usual tendency to relapse. It is good in cases of sudden fainting and/or dizziness with extreme coldness and pale countenance.
Often it is useful for griping pains caused by eating unripe fruit or irritating foods. Peppermint tea strengthens the heart muscle and is delicious. Coffee hinders digestion and is a cause of constipation and poisons the body. Peppermint tea cleanses and strengthens the entire body. The good effect will be very noticeable. It strengthens the nerves, instead of weakening them as aspirin and other drugs do.
This will assist the body in doing the work more normally; and will start the food digesting process. Studies show that peppermint lessens the time food spends in the stomach by stimulating the gastric lining. It relaxes the stomach and promotes burping, has a calming effect on the body and can help soothe a nagging cough. Helps reduce the sick feeling typical of migraine headaches.
Uses
Historically, oil of peppermint was employed as a flavoring agent in cordials, while fresh sprigs of the herb were added to juleps. Traditional herbalists utilized peppermint for a broad array of complaints, including chills, fevers, nausea, vomiting, motion sickness, colic, gas, and mild digestive upset. It was also historically recommended for diarrhea, dysmenorrhea, dizziness, headaches, migraines, insomnia, and palpitations.
During bouts of colds, the grippe, sore throats, and laryngitis, herbalists often administered peppermint preparations. The plant was traditionally believed to influence bile production, bile flow, and pancreatic function. Externally, the leaves were prepared as salves or bath additives for itching skin conditions, and the oil was applied topically by traditional practitioners for rheumatism, neuralgia, and headaches.
How Sold
Sold as peppermint oil, extract, or tea Used commercially in many teas, medicines, salves, inhalants, etc.
Warning
May interfere with iron absorption. Oil is toxic if taken internally in large doses; causes dermatitis. Menthol, the major chemical component of peppermint oil, may cause allergic reactions. Avoid prolonged use of the essential oil as an inhalant. Mint should not be given to children for more than a week at a time without a break. Do not give any form of mint directly to young babies.
Peppermint can reduce milk flow; take internally with caution if breast feeding. Check with your pediatrician before giving peppermint to a child.
Bibliography
The Herb Book , by John Lust, Bantam Books, 666 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY. copyright 1974. The Complete Medicinal Herbal , by Penelope Ody, Dorling Kindersley, Inc, 232 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016, First American Edition, copyright 1993 The Herbalist Almanac , by Clarence Meyer, Meyerbooks, publisher, PO Box 427, Glenwood, Illinois 60425, copyright 1988, fifth printing, 1994 Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants , by Steven Foster and James A.
, Houghton Mifflin Company, 215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10000 The Nature Doctor: A Manual of Traditional and Complementary Medicine , by Dr. A. , 27 Pine Street (Box 876) New Canaan, CT. 06840-0876. Copyright Verlag A. , Lotus Press, PO Box 325, Twin Lakes. , Copyright 1988, published 1992 American Folk Medicine , by Clarence Meyer, Meyerbooks, publisher, PO Box 427, Glenwood, Illinois 60425, 1973 Prescription for Nutritional Healing, Fifth Edition: A Practical A-to-Z Reference to Drug-Free Remedies Using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs & Food Supplements , by James F.
D. and Phyllis A. , 15 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10023 An Instant Guide to Medicinal Plants , by Pamela Forey and Ruth Lindsay, Crescent Books (January 27, 1992). The Magic of Herbs in Daily Living , by Richard Lucas, Parker Publishing Co. (1988). Chinese Medicinal Herbs , compiled by Shih-Chen Li, Georgetown Press, San Francisco, California, 1973. , Simon & Schuster/Fireside, Rockefeller Center 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020 Indian Herbalogy of North America , by Alma R.
, West Nyack, NY, 1987. The Yoga of Herbs: An Ayurvedic Guide to Herbal Medicine , by Dr. David Frawley & Dr. Vasant Lad, Lotus Press, Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, Second edition, 1988. The Rodale Herb Book: How to Use, Grow, and Buy Nature’s Miracle Plants (An Organic gardening and farming book) , edited by William H. Hylton, Rodale Press, Inc. , 1974 The Healing Plants , by Mannfried Pahlow, Barron’s Educational Series, Inc.
, Hauppauge, NY 11788, 1992