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Mint tea does not only have a fantastic flavour, but the numerous health benefits it provides are surprising. Learn all the mint tea benefits and side effects here, make a nutritious cup and enjoy your day!
Origin Of Mint Tea
Mint (mentha genus) is a perennial plant that contains 25 species of herbs coming from the Lamiaceae family1, spread over America, Africa, Australia, and Eurasia. We can attribute its name to Ancient Egypt and Greek mythology.
The oldest mint tea is made of spearmint leaves used in Morocco as green tea to brew a refreshing beverage. The popular peppermint tea was initially known for its cooling and digestive properties in Europe, now made in many places.
However, the mint family contains around 7000 plants, each known for its properties.
Mint Tea Benefits
Firstly, let us look at the different kinds of mint teas and their proven benefits –
1) Spearmint tea, which has sweet and cool notes, has been shown in studies to improve memory. It can also help in respiration, reduce allergic reactions, and relieve pain.
2) Field or wild mint is used as a tea and cooking ingredient. Animal studies have shown it has oxidative, anti-stress, and antibacterial properties.
3) Water mint is similar to other varieties. It is known for its antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties.
4) Peppermint – a combination of spearmint and water mint2 is a naturally caffeine-free choice used in candies, breath mints, and teas.
Here, we will be focussing on the popular benefits of peppermint tea.
Peppermint Tea Benefits
Peppermint leaves contain essential oils like menthone, limonene, and menthol, which give their cooling properties and a minty scent.
There are many proven benefits of peppermint leaves, tea, and its extracts:
1. Drinking Peppermint Tea Can Help Digestion
Peppermint tea helps with gas, indigestion, upset stomach, and bloating.
Animal studies show that peppermint can ease the digestive system, prevent the contraction of muscles, and relieve gut spasms.3
Peppermint oil can also be beneficial in treating irritable bowel syndrome, as proven through 9 studies conducted. Peppermint oil capsules 4are also helpful in dealing with the same, as concluded in a small study.
For functional abdominal pain disorder and gastrointestinal discomfort5, peppermint leaves can reduce the duration and severity, as tested with almost 2000 children.
Other than this, it can also help reduce symptoms of chemotherapy, like nausea and vomiting.
While there are no direct studies between peppermint tea and digestion, considering its properties – these can be labelled as mint tea benefits.6
However, if one is considering using dried peppermint leaves or fresh leaves to reduce IBS symptoms, it is better to consult your doctor and do so.
2. Peppermint Oil Can Reduce Headache Pain and Migraine
Peppermint can be used to relax muscles and thus relieve headaches. The menthol content of the oil can increase blood flow and produce a cooling sensation capable of reducing pain, as shown in studies.
Through comparative studies, peppermint oil significantly reduced pain caused by headaches compared to placebo oil.
Peppermint tea aroma can help the same purpose, it can be considered one of the mint tea benefits.
3. Peppermint Can Provide Relief from Sinus Congestion
The antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties present in peppermint tea can help fight nasal congestion, colds, and other allergies, as found in studies.
This is due to menthol, which improves airflow in the nasal cavity. So, the peppermint tea steam makes breathing easier, as shown in research.
Warm liquids like tea and chicken broth can help cure sinuses due to their vapours. Inhaling the steam made of this oil or other herbal teas might ease respiratory tract pathogens.
The available evidence indicates that this can be included as one of the mint tea benefits.
4. Peppermint Tea Improves Energy
Studies especially show peppermint oil capsules and aroma gargling can help relieve daytime tardiness and fatigue. This can be considered one of the benefits of mint tea due to its similar properties.
5. Drinking Peppermint Tea Helps Menstrual Cramps
Peppermint’s muscle relaxant properties can also help with menstrual cramps.
The peppermint extract capsules were given to women who had painful periods. It was found to be equally effective as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug 7used to reduce pain. So, it can be included in mint tea benefits.
6. Drinking Peppermint Tea Can Help with Bacterial Infections
Peppermint oil can kill bacteria, and due to its similar properties, peppermint tea might help in this purpose too.
It especially helps with stunting the growth of Listeria, E.coli and Salmonella found in fruit juices made of mango and pineapple. It can also aid sickness-causing bacteria like Staphylococcus8 and those linked to pneumonia.
The menthol found in peppermint is full of antibacterial activity and is used for many purposes. This makes it one of the mint tea benefits.
7. Peppermint Tea Can Help Improve Sleep Pattern
The caffeine-free beverage – peppermint tea is the perfect drink before sleeping. Its muscle relaxant capacity can help relax and sleep better, as found in studies.
However, the research from animal and human studies has been mixed. While peppermint oil increased sleeping time in one, menthol was proven to produce no sedative effects. This might be included as one of the mint tea benefits.
8. Peppermint Tea Aids Weight Loss
This is a sweet and calorie-free option for weight loss. However, the direct effects of peppermint tea specifically have not been studied.
A small study found that peppermint capsules can reduce appetite effectively, while animal studies have shown peppermint extracts can contribute to weight gain.
So, there is a need for more research if this can be included in mint tea benefits.
9. Peppermint Leaves May Help with Seasonal Allergies
Rosmarinic acid, A plant compound found in the mint family, is linked with reducing allergic symptoms like runny nose, asthma, and itchy eyes.
In an animal study to analyze the health benefits of peppermint extract, it was found to relieve sneezing and itchy nose symptoms. So, this is one of the generous mint tea benefits.
10. Peppermint Tea Can Help with a Fresher Breath
The clean and pleasant smell of mint leaves is a bonus to drinking this tea. It can fight bad breath. Mint is a famous ingredient in many sugar-free kinds of toothpaste and chewing gums can testify to this benefit.
A small study found that gargling a herbal tea blend of lemon, tea tree, and peppermint oils can help relieve spine surgery participants’ bad breath.
The antibacterial property of this essential oil can also be considered helpful in treating plaque and gum disease as found in a 2015 review.
11. Peppermint Tea Can Improve Concentration
While mint tea benefits haven’t been studied in this regard, ingesting peppermint oil was useful.
A study was conducted on 24 young and healthy people to see if peppermint is one of the essential oils that have cognitive and mood effects. The results were quite positive, click here to know more.
How To Make Peppermint Tea?
Mint tea is available in many forms – peppermint tea bags or peppermint leaves from your garden.
There are many ways to prepare mint tea-like –
1) Place the tea leaves infuser or tea bag at the bottom of a cup (6-8 ounces) and fill it with hot water. Let it steep for 5-6 minutes, or how much ever you want the intensity to be. You can also add lemon and sugar if you like.
2) Add water (2 cups) to a pot, bring it to a boil, and then turn the heat off. Add torn peppermint leaves (4-5) to the water. Cover and let it steep for around 5 minutes or as per your taste. To finish it off, strain the tea into a mug.
What Are the Risks Involved?
Peppermint tea is a good alternative to sugary drinks or fruit juices. However, when you mix it with honey or sugar, the health benefits decrease too.
It is not mandatory to avoid peppermint tea for any age. However, some people have reported worse heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux disease 9after consuming too much peppermint tea.
Some people can also be allergic to peppermint plants or mint in general. The leaves can irritate the skin, hives and itching. A hot cup of tea can also lead to a sore throat in such circumstances. Kindly try to avoid a medical emergency.
Considering the potential health benefits of min tea, it is best to be cautious and consult your doctor before including this in your diet.
The nutritional properties of mint, containing essential vitamins and minerals, are enough to prepare a healthy and delicious drink.
Popular Mint Tea Blends
You can find ingredients for popular min tea blends in your grocery stores.
These are consumed not only as natural remedies or herbal medicines but are famously known for their flavours.
1. Moroccan Mint
This is a blend of green tea leaves and mint. You can make your mix with hot water and some fresh mint leaves to create a delicious concoction. Moroccan mint tea bags are available everywhere.
2. Apple Mint
A popular iced tea flavour is the blend of apple and mint. You can experiment with apple juice, dry pieces, dry leaves, and any other ingredients of your choice.
3. Lemon Mint
You can add lemongrass or lemon balm with mint to get this mix. For a caffeinated form, green or black tea can be included in your beverage. Famous ones include chunmee, gunpowder, and Chinese sencha.
4. Mint Ginger
This is a great choice to combine warm and cool ingredients. It balances flavours with fresh mint leaves and dry or fresh ginger. It is also an effective natural remedy that one can try gargling.
Tap onto more healthy mint mixes here.
Bottomline
All in all, mint tea has numerous health benefits, but when taken in excessive amounts, it can lead to severe heartburn and gastronomic issues, so be careful.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is it good to drink mint tea every day?
Although responsible, mint tea can be consumed all day long. Since peppermint tea is free of caffeine, it won’t keep a person up at night.
2. Is mint tea good for you?
Yes, it includes substances with antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory qualities, all of which are beneficial to the immune system. Additionally, mint may aid to treat upper respiratory infections and clear up congested noses.
3. How much mint tea is safe?
While there are no fixed recommendations for the number of cups of mint tea you ought to drink each day, the majority of studies suggest 2-3 cups, with some researchers stating that up to 4-5 cups may also be fine.
To read another similar interesting article, click here.
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- Dinges, Martin M., Paul M. Orwin, and Patrick M. Schlievert. “Exotoxins of Staphylococcus aureus.” Clinical microbiology reviews 13.1 (2000): 16-34. ↩︎
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