About.....Peppermint

  Next time you're offered an after-dinner Peppermint, accept it as a valued gift. It'll do more than freshen your breath-it could help you digest your dinner. And it can prevent something far more embarrassing than bad breath, namely gas. What's more, this flavorful herb can relieve diarrhea, reduce nasal congestion, soothe sore muscles and even treat irritable bowel syndrome.

The mint-after-meals custom dates back to ancient Rome. But the species Peppermint is a relative newcomer, first identified around 1700 A.D. (Spearmint, a cousin of Peppermint, is also used for food flavoring but doesn't provide the same benefits.)

Healing with Peppermint:

Few herbal remedies are more pleasant than Peppermint tea, which is widely available as loose tea or in bags. Peppermint candies are also a popular option. To soothe your stomach or decongest your nose, use 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried Peppermint per cup of boiling water. Steep for 10 minutes. Drink up to three cups a day. With a tincture, take ¼ to 1 teaspoon up to three times a day. You can use Peppermint to:

• Aid Digestion: "Peppermint is probably the best-known remedy for stomach problems," says Daniel B. Mowrey, Ph. D., director of the American Phytotherapy Research Laboratory in Salt Lake City and author of The Scientific Validation of Herbal Medicine. The herb tames tummy trouble two ways, notes Mowrey: It contains essential oils that stimulate the gallbladder to secrete its stores of bile, your stomach's digestive acid. And it improves the function of the muscles that line the stomach and intestines-which is why it can help relieve diarrhea as well as irritable bowel syndromes.

• Relieve pain: Peppermint is an ingredient in many modern pain relieving skin creams, including Solarcaine, Ben-Gay and Noxema Medicated Cream. For wounds, burns, scalds and cold sores, apply a few drops of Peppermint oil directly to the affected area. Discontinue use if a rash develops.

• Ease congestion: Menthol, the active ingredient that gives Peppermint its kick, relieves nasal, sinus and chest congestion. Peppermint is, in fact, one of the few Food and Food Drug Administration-approved remedies for the common cold. So next you're sick, try a cup of Peppermint tea.

Safety Considerations:

Peppermint in tea or candy is generally regarded as safe for adults. But you shouldn't give Peppermint tea to infants or very young children, counsels Varro E. Tyler, Ph. D., professor of pharmacognosy at Purdue University School of Pharmacy in West Lafayette, Indiana.

Peppermint oil is a more serious matter. It's highly concentrated and should be used only in the small amounts recommended here. Pure menthol is poisonous and should never be taken internally.

Send mail to CompanyWebmaster with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © Copyright   CompanyLongName
Last modified: December 12, 2006