Along with the busy December season, many of us can experience upset stomachs. Peppermint can help settle things down a bit. During the eighteenth century, peppermint became popular in Western Europe as a folk remedy for nausea, vomiting, morning sickness, respiratory infections and menstrual disorders. Peppermint was first listed in the London Pharmacopoeia in 1721. In modern times it appears in the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia as a remedy for intestinal colic, gas, colds, morning sickness and menstruation pain.
Roman scientists and historians recorded that the Greeks and Romans used peppermint to flavor sauces and their wines.
Ancient Greek physicians used two different species of mint but some experts doubt that either was what we know as peppermint today. There is evidence that the Egyptians cultivated M. piperita and dried leaves were discovered in several pyramids. It’s also mentioned in thirteenth century Isclandic Pharmacopoeias. It wasn’t until the middle of the 18th century that peppermint was cultivated for its medicinal properties in Western Europe and England.
Oil of peppermint contains menthol which is an antiseptic and anesthetic. Chewing a few peppermint leaves is thought to relieve a thoothache. Indigestion, cold and flu sufferers can find some relief by drinking peppermint tea. However, peppermint tea can cause insomnia and it is therfore best avoided at night.
Peppermint oil is also useful in combating flatulence and mild indigestion. Many over-the-counter stomach aids contain peppermint to both enhance the taste as well as the effectiveness of the medicine. However, in a strange bit of irony, peppermint is something of a trigger food for many suffering from acid reflux and may cause their symptoms to worsen.
When appied to the skin, peppermint reduces sensitivity and relieves pain. Rubbed on the temples, across the forehead, and behind the neck, peppermint oil helps to ease digestive related headaches and migraines by generating a cooling effect on the skin and relaxing cranial muscles.
Although peppermint oil and caraway oil are frequently used in herbal drugs for abdominal discomfort and pain, the pharacological insight into their effects on the gastrointestinal tract are poor.
Peppermint oil and caraway oil show a relaxing effect on the gallbladder and the former slows small intestinal transit. Further studies should investigate the effects of both oils on a maximal contraction stimulus on the gallbladder, and in patients suffering from motility disorders.
Peppermint (Mentha piperita) is an aromatic perennial plant that grows to a height of about 3 feet (1m). It has light purple flowers and green leaves with serrated edges. There are more than 25 species of true mint grown throughout the world.
The plant is harvested when the oil content is highest. When ready for harvest, it is always collected in the morning, before noon sun reduces the leaves essential oil content. This generally takes place shortly before the plant blooms, which occurs in the summer (July through August) or during dry, sunny weather. The United States is responsible for producing 75% of the world’s supply of peppermint.
Peppermint is thought to be a native English plant and possibly a hybrid between M. spicata and M. aquatica.
Commercial peppermint history in England began around 1750. Growing peppemint commercially was primarily at Mitcham in Surrey at that time. Similar statements to what we found when researching the history of lavender, extoll essential peppermint oil produced from plants grown in this area as far superior to that from peppermint grown elsewhere. That said, peppermint can easily be grown in just about every climate and geographical locations.
Commericial peppermint history in the United States is believed to have begun in Wayne County, New York in the early part of the 1800s. It is thought that for as long as 40 years, this region was the only area producing distilled mint. A.M. Todd believed the black muck soils of Michigan would produce a quality product. Around 1870, he began cultivating peppermint in the Kalamazoo area. By 1920, 90 percent of the true peppermint and spearmint oils of the world were being produced in southwestern Michigan.
American peppermint oil contains 50-78% menthol, while English peppermint oil has a menthol content of 60-70%. Japanese peppermint oil contains 85% menthol. Peppermint and its oils help with intestinal function.
Peppermint oil also contains vitamins A and C, magnesium, potassium, inositol, niacin, copper, iodine, silicon, iron and sulfer.
Peppermint is available as tincture, tea, essential oil, oil capsules, and tablets. The fresh and dried leaves may be purchased in bulk. Tablets and capsules are often coated so the oil’s therapeutic properties are released in the intestine and not in the stomach. These enteric-coated pills are used in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome, diverticulitis, and other chronic digestive ailments. Peppermint oil capsules are effective in treating lower intestinal disorders.
Peppermint is a cooling, relaxing herb that contains properties that help ease inflamed tissue, calm muscle spasms or cramps, and inhibit bacteria and microoganisms. it also has pain relieving and infection preventing qualities.
