Peppermint: medicinal properties and contraindications

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

Peppermint is a herb that has many medicinal properties. Mint is used to beauty the skin, and plant-based drinks normalize blood pressure and improve overall well-being and mood. Peppermint is often grown by summer residents on their plots, because you can add plant leaves to tea to get a fragrant drink.

It is worth noting that the mint itself and the extract of the plant are used not only in cooking, but also in the pharmaceutical field, on its basis flavors are prepared, and it is from the pepper plant that menthol is made. Peppermint has a whole list of medicinal properties, which we will discuss in detail in this article. Also, the plant has certain contraindications that should be considered when using a medicinal herb.

Main characteristics

This plant grows almost throughout the entire territory of our country, it is very easy to grow it in a summer cottage, since mint is unpretentious to care for. The plant blooms in the summer, at the very top of the plant a spike forms, on which small pink flowers bloom. The composition of mint is quite rich in useful substances; in a medicinal plant, scientists were able to find:

• essential oils, which are mainly menthol as well as menthol esters;
• bitter tannins;
• biologically active components;
• ascorbic acid in a small amount;
• phytoncides;
• vitamin P;
• minerals;
• carotenes.

Menthol is increasingly used in the pharmaceutical field, the ester of this substance is added to various medications, for example, menthol is present in Validol, Golden Star balm, as well as various candies for sore throat and Valocordin.

Main beneficial properties

There is a whole list of medicinal properties of peppermint that can help fight certain diseases. But do not forget about contraindications to the use of the plant, so as not to harm your body. The medicinal herb helps to have a vasodilating and bactericidal effect, in addition, mint has antiseptic and antispasmodic properties.

We have already mentioned the fact that peppermint is often used today in pharmaceuticals to create various drugs. Due to the beneficial composition of the plant, the herb can be used to treat diseases that affect various organ systems:

1. Digestive … Mint helps with attacks of nausea, it also relieves heartburn and belching, relieves attacks of spasms and flatulence. You can prepare special decoctions based on the plant to improve the digestion process, and in addition to activate intestinal motility. It is very effective to use a medicinal plant for chronic cholecystitis, cholelithiasis and metabolic disorders. In addition, mint is used for all forms of hepatitis.
2. Circulatory … Mint infusions and decoctions can improve blood circulation in the body, and the plant can also be used to relieve attacks of hypertension and angina pectoris.
3. Nervous … Tea with mint is useful to take before bedtime for insomnia, and decoctions and tinctures make it possible to cope with depression, stress and neuralgia. Experts recommend adding mint leaves to tea to reduce the intensity of migraines.
4. Respiratory … In this case, the plant is used only as an adjuvant, mint helps to fight asthmatic bronchitis, relieves the condition with angina and colds.
5. For the female reproductive system … Mint makes it possible to alleviate the period of menopause, and also allows you to quickly get rid of inflammatory processes in the genitals. During pregnancy, you can drink mild tea with mint to normalize your mood and relieve signs of toxicosis.

Although peppermint has so many medicinal properties, the plant has certain contraindications for use, which should be discussed in more detail.

Contraindications to use

Any plant has certain contraindications for use, and they must be taken into account so as not to harm the body. There are not so many contraindications to the use of the plant, but still they exist, and it is worth describing them in more detail. The main prohibitions on the use of mint include:

• the presence of hypotension in humans;
• an allergic reaction to menthol;
• mint-based preparations should not be used by children under three years of age (there is a high probability of an allergic reaction);
• mint reduces vascular tone, which can lead to aggravation of varicose veins;
• infertility in men and women (mint can worsen the health situation).

It is worth noting that mint can be extremely dangerous for babies, in some cases, the medicinal herb leads to respiratory arrest in babies. In addition, it should be noted that it is better not to consume mint tea before traveling by car.

There are studies that talk about the negative effects of the plant on male libido and sex life. With prolonged use of an infusion or decoction of mint, a person may experience heartburn, this is due to the relaxation of the sphincter between the stomach and the esophagus.

Peppermint oil

Essential oil has no less useful properties, it is often used as a sedative. To make the product more effective, it is dripped into a special pendant, which is hung around the neck.

Mint Ester Applications:

1. Better sleep … To normalize a night's sleep, it is enough to apply such oil on a cotton pad, and then put it on the bed or next to the bed at the head of the bed.
2. Headache … Such a remedy allows you to additionally get rid of headache attacks. It is enough to apply the oil to the area of the temples, after mixing ether with apricot kernel oil.
3. Cold … Peppermint essential oil is great for fighting colds. To carry out the treatment, it is enough to apply ether to the neck and feet, after a while the symptoms of the disease will subside.
4. Dentistry … Peppermint oil shows its medicinal properties here as well, as it relieves inflammation, but do not forget about the contraindications of the product. In case of diseases of the oral cavity, ether should be applied to the most painful and inflamed areas, after a while relief will come.

The benefits and harms of mint during pregnancy

Many women have heard about the benefits of peppermint, but they do not know if this fragrant herb can be used while carrying a baby. You should also understand the question of whether it is possible to use medications with the addition of mint extract during pregnancy.

First trimester

The fresh leaves of the plant contain a large number of useful components that are necessary for the human body. According to experts, in the first three months of pregnancy, the expectant mother can use mint to make tea; no more than three mint leaves should be taken in a glass of drink. As a result, you should get a drink of low concentration.

The finished drink has a lot of useful properties, these include:

• has a calming effect on the nervous system of the body;
• weak tea during pregnancy has an anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect, in addition, the drink has antiseptic properties (this is useful, since you cannot take medications during pregnancy);
• during pregnancy, a woman often feels bouts of nausea, and dizziness also occurs, varicose veins and heartburn can develop, in order to avoid these unpleasant ailments, you can use unconcentrated tea with mint;
• the drink normalizes the functioning of the stomach and intestines, helps to eliminate the signs of flatulence and prevents constipation.

Although peppermint has many medicinal properties, the product has contraindications for use. For example, an infusion based on mint is not used at all during pregnancy, since it contains tannins and various organic acids.

These components can have a negative impact on the development of the fetus. If a woman, while carrying a child, suffers from a migraine, or the nausea becomes too strong, it is best to seek help from a doctor. Taking mint tea can be unsafe in this case.

Third trimester of pregnancy

At a later date, even regular mint tea will have to be abandoned. The fact is that the substances in the plant make the kidneys work more actively, and mint also has a negative effect on a woman's heart.

Frequent consumption of regular mint tea can lead to the development of early labor. The drink can provoke the occurrence of edema and an increase in blood pressure, which is very dangerous during pregnancy.

Breastfeeding

It is allowed to drink no more than one glass of warm tea with mint, in which case the drink will not harm the woman, but will benefit the body. The substances in the herb will help to expand blood vessels and normalize blood circulation.

But it is worth considering that although peppermint has medicinal properties, the plant also has contraindications, therefore, if there is a lack of milk, you will have to refuse such a drink. And to stop breastfeeding, you should make a decoction of sage and peppermint, such a drink reduces milk production in a woman's body.

It is strictly forbidden to use mint without consulting a doctor, since a drink with this plant can lead to various health problems not only for the mother, but also for the baby. If, after drinking the drink, a woman feels a deterioration in her condition, mint should be excluded from her diet.

Other uses of mint

Since peppermint has certain medicinal properties and contraindications, you should additionally find out in which areas it can be used:

1. In perfumery … Peppermint ether is often used to create perfumes.
2. In cooking … Here mint has been used for decades, usually the plant is used in cocktails and desserts.
3. In pharmaceuticals … Ester and extract of the herb are used to prepare potions or lozenges for the throat.
4. In cosmetology … The leaves of the plant have antiseptic properties, they are used to prepare masks for acne and acne.

We talked in sufficient detail about all the pros and cons of this plant, but if there is a need to treat with peppermint, it is better to consult a specialist.

Do not forget that the plant has a number of contraindications for use, you should be especially careful when using the herb during pregnancy. Decoctions and tinctures of mint are used immediately, they cannot be stored.