Peppermint: What It Is, What It’s Used For, And What Its Benefits Are

Peppermint is widely used in cuisine, but also as an inexpensive and useful home remedy for various types of bodily ailments.

Peppermint adds an unparalleled flavor to some dishes such as salpicón, tacos, and a wide variety of other recipes.

In addition, it has several medicinal properties that alleviate various ailments in the body, according to natural medicine specialists. This herb belongs to the Mentha genus of the Lamiaceae family .

Peppermint is characterized by its greenish color, its aroma, its affordability and its practicality for use in the kitchen and as a home remedy .

Generally speaking, peppermint can be added to dishes, prepared as an infusion, or even used as a poultice to relieve abscesses, pyoderma (bacterial skin infection), rheumatism, and tumors, according to naturopath Carolina González.

What is peppermint and what is it used for?

Its scientific name is Mentha spicata L. (Lamiaceae / Labiatae). Spearmint is a plant used primarily for aromatic and medicinal purposes, according to González.

The specialized website Green Ecology mentions that its aroma is fresh and intense. It is characterized by its perennial growth , its sessile leaves measuring between two and six centimeters in length, and its flowering in the summer in various parts of the world.

The site also mentions that the plant has a rhizome that allows it to flower and multiply, and that it has pink or pinkish-whitish flowers.

In addition to its use in gastronomy and natural medicine, it is also used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. It performs well in temperate climates and is resistant to cold.

According to data from the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NIH), peppermint essential oil contains chemicals that reduce swelling and affect hormone levels in the body, including testosterone.

What are the benefits of peppermint?

Naturopath González lists various benefits of peppermint for curing certain ailments, although she warns that self-medication is not recommended and you should always consult a health professional.

• If prepared as an infusion, it can be useful for treating digestive and other symptoms such as colic, indigestion, diarrhea, dyspepsia, flatulence, stomach pain, nausea, menstrual discomfort, rheumatism, and neuralgia.
• When used in poultices and compresses, peppermint helps combat abscesses, pyoderma, rheumatism, and other diseases.
• If you apply it in baths, it serves to deodorize the feet and wash wounds and scrapes.
• In general, it is attributed to analgesic, antiseptic, antiemetic, sedative, carminative, digestive, diuretic, emmenagogue, spasmolytic, stimulant, stomachic, expectorant, febrifuge, hypotensive, and sudorific properties.

However, the effectiveness of these natural treatments will depend on each case, and peppermint is not recommended as a substitute for the treatment prescribed by your doctor.

What are the contraindications to using peppermint?

González recommends avoiding its use during pregnancy and in people suffering from hyperestrogenism, which is defined as a medical condition that occurs when there is an excess of estrogen in the body, which can generate a hormonal imbalance that affects physical and emotional health.

According to the NIH, it is also contraindicated during breastfeeding, as there is no information to guarantee its safe consumption during this period. Likewise, specialists do not recommend peppermint tea for those with kidney or liver problems.

It should also not be used for long periods of time to avoid adverse reactions, and it is suggested to take it after meals in infusions with a dose of two to five grams of peppermint leaves per cup to take advantage of its benefits.

If you have additional questions about the uses of peppermint, contact a specialist for further guidance.