12 Amazing Spearmint Tea Benefits – A Must Know!

Spearmint (Mentha spicata¹) is a species hailing from the mint family. You’ll often find it in toothpaste, chewing gum, and cosmetics and is even used as a flavour in food. You may often confuse it with its famous sibling, peppermint tea, but the truth is, spearmint tea is one of the most underrated herbal teas because the spearmint tea benefits will leave you amazed.

It is also consumed as herbal tea and has been used for different health benefits since the olden days.

Apart from consuming spearmint in the form of tea, spearmint essential oil is also used to treat several health issues like nausea and also for pain relief.

Moreover, it is 100% caffeine-free, hence it can be a good alternative if you are planning to go on a caffeine detox for a while.

So read along to know all the amazing benefits that spearmint tea has to offer.

Spearmint Tea Benefits – 12 Amazing Benefits Listed!

Spearmint tea is packed with antioxidants and other minerals and nutrients like vitamin c, flavones and flavanones, iron, limonene, dihydrochalcone², and folate. These are the reasons behind spearmint tea’s benefits.

There are numerous spearmint tea benefits out there, many of them supported by studies, while many still require concrete studies to prove their claims.

Nevertheless, the evidence of spearmint tea benefits cannot be overlooked as it has been observed for decades. Well here are some important spearmint tea benefits, among many, so sit back and relax as you sip on this wonderful information.

1. Helps to Ease Digestion

Have you ever had those days when your stomach just doesn’t seem to agree with you, like it has mood swings of its own? Well, maybe what it needs is just a little cup of spearmint tea to ease itself.

Spearmint contains an active ingredient called carvone which has been found to ease digestion in adults and young children.

It was also found to relax the stomach muscles which in turn aids in digestion and helps to release gas in the abdomen, reducing bloating and constipation.

Its anti-inflammatory properties also help to soothe stomach upset and even nausea for people undergoing chemotherapy. More research however is required to understand why and how spearmint helps with nausea.

Spearmint tea benefits also include providing relief from irritable bowel syndrome³ (IBS) but once again, more research is required to support this claim and also to understand how it provides relief from IBS.

2. Enhances Memory

Who would’ve thought that sipping on spearmint herbal tea could be the answer to having improved memory? This is another one of the many spearmint tea benefits that are so helpful, especially for age-associated memory impairment.

A study was conducted where the effect of spearmint extract containing 5% rosmarinic acid was evaluated on mice. After 90 days of treating the mice with the extract, they were found to have improved learning based on their performance in the maze test.

The study concluded that spearmint extract has beneficial effects in enhancing memory and learning ability. It also has the potential to fight oxidative damage due to oxidation that occurs with ageing.

Another recent study was conducted to analyze the effects of spearmint extract on individuals having age-associated memory impairment. The results showed that there was an improvement in memory, sleep, and mood of those individuals who received spearmint extract for 90 days as compared to the placebo individuals.⁴

3. Reduces Hirsutism

Spearmint tea benefits are found in abundance likewise it has also been found to influence androgens. These hormones are present in both males and females, although they are in large amounts in males.

Too many androgens can cause acne and excess growth of hair on the face, chest, and abdomen of women.

A study was conducted on 21 females with hirsutism⁵, out of which 12 were known to have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and the rest 9 of them had idiopathic hirsutism.

The individuals were given a cup of spearmint tea twice a day for five days. When they were examined after five days, they found that there was a significant decrease in free testosterone.

The study concluded that spearmint tea can be used as a relief for mild hirsutism but further studies were needed for examining the reliability of the results.

Another study conducted on 42 volunteers, who were given two cups of spearmint tea daily for 30 days, showed that there was a significant decrease in testosterone levels in individuals who drank spearmint tea as compared to the placebo individuals.

The study concluded that spearmint tea has the potential to be used as a natural treatment for hirsutism with PCOS and that further studies should be conducted for a longer period to examine its potential to be used clinically.

If you would like to know more about how to reduce androgens in females naturally, here are some valuable methods.

4. Checks Hormonal Imbalances in Women

Checking hormonal imbalance in women is one of the important spearmint tea benefits.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) which is often seen in women during the reproductive age, is a disorder due to hormonal imbalance.

It is characterized by infrequent or prolonged menstruation or overproduction of male hormones called androgens. The ovaries may also fail to release eggs regularly.

A study conducted on 21 women who were given 2 cups of spearmint tea daily found an increase in female hormones like luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH).

The same was also found in the study conducted on 42 women who had PCOS and drank 2 cups of spearmint tea daily.

Such findings provide some evidence of the potential health benefits of spearmint tea in checking hormonal imbalances.

Nevertheless, it is always advisable to seek medical help if you are dealing with these issues. Spearmint tea can still be used as an aid to help in the process of reducing such imbalances.

5. Relief From Menstrual Cramps

At this point, most of us are ready to try almost anything to alleviate menstrual cramps.⁶ Why not try something clean and safe like spearmint tea? It may not eradicate the cramps forever but it can give you some relief.

Relief from menstrual cramps is one of the many spearmint tea benefits that are worth the rave. This is attributed to its antispasmodic properties⁷ which help to soothe cramps caused by menstruation.

Although there aren’t concrete pieces of evidence as to how it works, drinking spearmint tea or any tea belonging to the mint family, like peppermint tea, is generally soothing for the stomach.

6. Helps to Reduce Acne

Acne might as well be one of the worst enemies. And if so, then spearmint tea might just be what you need to fight it off.

Excess androgens can cause acne in some individuals, especially in teenagers. These excess androgens lead to the overproduction of sebum which tends to clog pores, leading to acne.

Well, the good news is that spearmint tea has been found to have anti-androgen properties. So naturally, it has the potential to reduce acne⁸.

A study conducted by the American Academy of Dermatology found that individuals who drank spearmint tea, two cups daily, showed a reduction in acne lesions. There was a 25% reduction in the first month and a 51% reduction in acne lesions in 3 months.

Spearmint tea however should not be used as a stand-alone therapy for curing acne. It helps to control acne but only to a mild degree. It is always advisable to visit a dermatologist in case of severe acne.

7. Aids in Lowering Blood Pressure

One of the star compounds in spearmint tea is carvone, which is also the reason behind its potential to reduce high blood pressure.

Carvone is known to behave similarly to the ingredients that make up the medications used for lowering blood pressure.

A study conducted using spearmint essential oil in an animal showed that the carvone compound in the essential oil was 100 times more effective than verapamil, which is a medication commonly used for high blood pressure.

Although drinking spearmint tea alone may not be a permanent solution to high blood pressure, it can aid in your journey to maintaining a healthy level of blood pressure.

8. Ability to Reduce Blood Sugar

Apart from lowering blood pressure, spearmint tea may also have the ability to lower blood sugar levels.

A study was conducted to investigate the effect of aqueous extract from spearmint leaves on diabetic rats. The results of the study showed that spearmint seems to have the potential to be used as a treatment for diabetes.

So incorporate this into your daily diet if you are working to lower your blood sugar.

9. Stress Relief

Let’s be honest, there are a hundred and one reasons why we are stressed, but if a cup or two of this lovely herbal tea could bring down the stress radars, then why not give it a go?

People in Southeast Asia look to spearmint tea to get relief from stress and also to treat insomnia to get a restful sleep at night.

The menthol present in spearmint helps to relax the muscles and relieve stress and anxiety. This helps the body and mind to relax and fall asleep easily. It also helps to get a restful sleep at night.

10. Fights Bad Breath

It doesn’t come as a surprise that spearmint is often found in chewing gum and toothpaste. Being a member of the mint family, it instantly promotes freshness and helps to mask the odour.

Apart from its minty flavour, spearmint also has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties and thus it helps to fight those nasty bacteria in the mouth which cause bad breath.

So drinking spearmint tea could have long-term positive effects in reducing bad breath.

11. Wards off Bacterial Infections

The anti-bacterial and anti-microbial properties of spearmint do not just stop at treating bad breath.

A study was conducted to evaluate the ability of spearmint essential oil to fight common foodborne pathogenic bacteria.

The study concluded that spearmint essential oil has the potential to be used as an agent to treat bacterial infections.

12. Relief From Joint Pains

If you constantly suffer from joint pains and even arthritis, spearmint tea may help reduce it as spearmint is believed to be effective in relieving pain especially due to stiff joints.

A study was conducted to investigate the analgesic properties of spearmint essential oil. The study confirmed its analgesic property helps in reducing the severity of pain in patients suffering from osteoarthritis.

Another study was conducted on individuals with knee osteoarthritis. They were given two cups of spearmint tea daily for 16 weeks.

The study found that spearmint tea significantly improved stiffness and disability. Spearmint tea which was high in rosmarinic acid especially reduced pain significantly.

Drinking Spearmint Tea with Caution

No doubt, spearmint tea benefits are too many to even think that they might have some downsides. It’s all about keeping it within the boundaries. Anything taken in excess will only prove to be counterproductive.

Drinking 2-3 cups of spearmint tea daily is recommended for the best results.

Although spearmint tea is caffeine-free and pretty safe when taken in moderation, it is not recommended if you are someone who suffers from Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) as it can lead to acid reflux and heartburn.

Furthermore, if you are in the early days of pregnancy or motherhood, consult your medical professional if it is safe to consume spearmint tea. This is because excess herbal teas could lead to complications in pregnancy.

Steps to Prepare Spearmint Tea

Preparing spearmint tea is very easy. You can purchase spearmint tea bags or loose leaves. You can also grow them in your garden to be used for making fresh spearmint tea.

The steps are pretty simple:

• Heat water and bring it to a boil
• Remove it from heat and add the tea bag or loose leaves, or better yet, add some fresh spearmint leaves to the water.
• Cover the lid and let it steep for about 5 minutes.
• Use a strainer to strain it as you pour it into a cup

There you have it! A cup of fresh spearmint tea that is brimming with spearmint tea benefits.

Read more from us here.

Key Takeaways

In this article, we got to know the spearmint tea benefits which is indeed very helpful for varied purposes. Be it your acne or arthritis spearmint tea has the solution!

We further discussed how to prepare spearmint tea, follow the exact steps and in no time you will sip on this magic herbal tea!

FAQs

1. What is spearmint tea beneficial for?

Ans. Spearmint tea is beneficial for balancing hormones, lower blood sugar levels, and improving digestion.

2. Can I drink spearmint tea every day?

Ans. Yes, you can drink 2 cups of spearmint tea every day.

3. Is spearmint tea good for the skin?

Ans. Yes, spearmint tea is good for the skin. The tea has antioxidant and antibacterial properties which keep the skin acne-free, promoting healthy and clearer skin.

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Last Updated on July 23, 2024 by Sathi Chakraborty, MSc Biology