The peppermint herb is a hybrid plant, a mixture of water mint and spearmint, first discovered in 1750 in London, England. It is often referred to as the world's oldest medicine.
It is now grown throughout North America and Europe, where its leaves and stems are the parts of the plant that are used medicinally, as they contain relatively high amounts of oil.
It contains numerous vitamins and minerals including vitamins A and C, folic acid, calcium, copper, magnesium and potassium.
It is frequently used as a treatment for digestive problems such as gastritis, indigestion and irritable bowel syndrome.
If you have stomach problems, I recommend drinking a tea made from this herb. It is often eaten following a meal as a treatment for indigestion.
It also functions as an anti-spasmodic, calming spasms of the digestive tract, while providing relief from abdominal bloating, constipation and diarrhea.
Its anti-spasmodic qualities make it an excellent treatment for liver and gallbladder disorders.
Like many other essential oils, peppermint may provide relief from stress and anxiety.
In fact, many people find that by drinking a cup of peppermint tea just before bedtime, they're able to sleep better.
Actually, just smelling it may be enough to take the edge off.
A recent experiment studied the effect it had on individuals while driving.
In this study, participants drove under three different conditions: no odor, cinnamon or peppermint.
The two herbs were pumped through an oxygen concentrator for 30 seconds every 15 minutes.
Here's what the researchers learned: this herb decreased anxiety and fatigue, increased alertness and decreased any frustration drivers may have felt while driving.
It is also a good home remedy for headaches. By applying oil in a diluted form to the forehead or temples is thought to relieve headaches. It may relieve a tension headache as quickly as 15 minutes.
As it contains menthol, it is a good treatment for various skin conditions. It functions to cool the skin, while nourishing and improving oily skin.
Here are some other uses for this herb:
Urinary tract infection
Asthma
Diarrhea
Intestinal gas
Dissolving gallstones
Bad breath
Nausea and vomiting
Relieving symptoms of allergies
Recommended Dosage
As a tea, soak one tablespoon of dried leaf in 6 ounces of boiling water for 10 minutes. Strain and drink as many as 4 cups a day.
As an oil, it can be rubbed directly on the chest for respiratory problems.
When taken in capsule form, take one or two 2 mL capsules three times a day, two hours before eating to help with digestive problems.
When taking a lozenge, follow the directions on the package.
Peppermint is found in gardens around the world and is thought to be one of the world's oldest home remedies.
It has also been used as a flavoring for candy, but it has many medicinal properties, dating back to ancient Greece where it was used as a treatment for digestive disorders.
In fact, it will be hard to find someone that doesn't find it suitable to the palate.
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Photographs for over 90 herbs
A brief summary describing each herb
Herbal actions for 94 herbs so you can see at a glance how they work including a pop-up menu of all the herbal actions for each record so that you don't have to manually type them in for each new record you create
What conditions these herbs help to treat
The recommended dosage for each herb
Any side effects and contraindications for each herb including a pop-up menu of over 116 side effects so that you don't have to type in each side effect for each new record you create
Alternate names for each herb, in case you didn't know that dioscorea villosa is the same as wild yam
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