Peppermint Medicine
Peppermint (Mentha x piperita) is an herb known and loved by many. This complex plant is both warming and cooling while also relaxing and stimulating. There are quite a few contradictions wrapped up in this one tenacious plant.
When we look at the botanical name for this aromatic, fuzzy green plant, we encounter something new: the x in the middle of its name. This is because peppermint is a cross-breed. Peppermint is the result of a hybridization of Spearmint and Water mint. This relatively new species of the mint family was officially recognized by herbalists and doctors and added to the England Pharmacopeia in 1721. (1)
According to Dr. Sharol Tilgner (2):
Peppermint is specific for spasmodic and inflamed conditions of the respiratory, digestive, and urinary tract as well as inflamed, itchy, skin conditions.
Before we jump into reading more about peppermint, perhaps you would like to take a moment to brew a cup of peppermint tea, smell the fresh plant or oil, pop a mint into your mouth, brush your teeth with a pepperminty toothpaste, or mix up a quick mojito. This can help you better appreciate the energetics of this plant and improve your memory and focus simultaneously.
Peppermint Energetics
Temperature: cooling/warming
Moisture: drying
Energy: relaxing/stimulating
Again, we see the complexity of peppermint. Each plant will have effects that build on each other and effects that seem to counteract the others. This is part of working with whole plant medicine; there is an inherent balancing effect built in that we miss out on in standardized products and pharmaceuticals. With peppermint, the most noticeable effect on temperature is cooling even with a hot tea, or in my experience, especially with a hot foot bath - wow! The warming effect comes from its ability to move blood to the surface, which also aids in cooling you down as you radiate away the heat of a fever. If you are experiencing muscle pains due to spasms, the relaxation of those tissues allows more blood flow, warming that area directly. Also, any herb that makes you a bit perkier is considered to have a warming effect on your vitality.
With regards to moisture, it’s simple: peppermint is drying.
Energetically, we see a relaxation in muscle tissues, especially in the respiratory and digestive tracts. If you have any nasal congestion, a quick whiff of peppermint will help to open those airways, relaxing the squeeze of those smooth circular muscles. We see the same thing in cramping and gassy digestive complaints; a strong peppermint tea will ease those pains. While peppermint relaxes the muscles, it stimulates the nervous system, allowing you to think clearer, focus more, and improve memory. I like to drink peppermint tea while studying and writing when I remember. In a pinch, a whiff of the essential oil is also nice, though I prefer combining peppermint’s cousin rosemary to the blend.
Peppermint’s Medicinal Effects
Peppermint sits in quite a few different categories of medicinal effects:
Analgesic (external) - relieves pain when used topically
Anti-inflammatory - reduces inflammation
Anti-nausea - reduces nausea
Antioxidant - binds to and inactivates free radicals/oxidants produced through normal metabolism or increased with inflammation.
Antipruritic - relieves itching
Antispasmodic - relaxes spasming muscles
Bitter - increases digestive secretions and tone through the GI system
Carminative - breaks up digestive gas
Cholagogue - stimulates bile flow from the gall bladder
Choleretic - stimulates bile production in the liver
Diaphoritic - stimulates sweating
Diuretic - increases urine production
Looking at lists like these helps one better understand how herbs work. They don’t simply treat conditions; they promote body functions. This is why you may hear holistic practitioners say that they treat people - not conditions. This is also why we usually ask a whole lot more questions.
When Not to Use Peppermint:
Peppermint is another herb to add to the not during-pregnancy category as it can bring on uterine contractions.
Peppermint should also be avoided in cases of acute gallstones as the cholagogue and choleretic properties can move stones and cause them to lodge in the bile duct, creating a medical emergency that most likely will need surgery to resolve.
Finally, peppermint should be avoided in cases of GERD/heartburn as it will exacerbate things. GERD occurs when the door at the top of the stomach, the lower esophageal sphincter, doesn’t close well; peppermint will further relax this muscle, resulting in more reflux.
General causes of reflux include pregnancy, overeating, lowered stomach acid, trauma to the tissues, and hiatal hernia. If you haven’t been counseled on these causes of GERD and have been prescribed antacid therapy like Prilosec, tums, omeprazole, or other medications, do be aware that they do not address the cause of GERD and have been associated with multiple side effects, including an increased risk for osteoporosis, dementia, kidney disease, nutritional deficiencies such as B12, iron, and magnesium, and even increased risk of premature death. Use of Proton Pump Inhibitor drugs like Prilosec and Nexium are the most problematic and should never be used for longer than 1 month.
Working with Peppermint
Peppermint is lovely to work with in both its fresh and dry forms. It is amazingly easy to grow and does well in a pot; a pot is recommended if you don’t want to fight its spread and domination of your garden/yard. If you are not going to grow your own, you can purchase dried peppermint directly from many farmers or even find fresh mint at your grocery store. Ask around; people with mint often come out of their ears who would be only too glad to give you some!
If you are working with dry mint, ensure it still smells strongly of mint before using it. Dried mint loses its essential oils over time and should be composted after a year.
One of the easiest ways to work with mint is to eat it raw in salads or beverages or chew on a leaf or two to freshen your breath. Next would be creating a tea. Like other herbs, 1 tbsp of the dry mint or 2 Tbsp of fresh mint should be combined with 8 oz of hot water and steeped covered for 15-20 minutes. Covering is vital as many of mint’s medicinal properties are found in the essential oils, and you don’t want them evaporating.
Once you have tea, you can drink this for digestive complaints, including hiccups. You can also wet a washcloth in it to use as a compress or fomentation for hot/dry/itchy skin or congestive headaches. With a fever, drinking tea and taking a foot bath can be pretty cooling - but only do this when a fever is 103 or higher; you want your fever to do its job and rid your body of whatever infection has taken hold.
Powdered peppermint leaves can be added to toothpowder to freshen your breath while you brush.
And lastly, you can work with the essential oil. Adding a drop or 2 to hot water and breathing in the steam to help open your respiratory passages. Inhaling the essential oil is mentally stimulating and can help in cases of online schooling or never-ending Zoom meetings. Enteric-coated peppermint essential oil capsules are also used to help deliver the antispasmodic effects down to the colon, which can be challenging for the tea to reach. This and enteric-coated lavender oil are the only two essential oils I prescribe for internal use to patients, and sparingly at that. Always check with your medical provider(s) before working with such potent herbal medicine!
I hope you enjoyed our tour of peppermint and were able to enjoy some while reading this week’s article.
To our health!
References
Tilgner, S, Herbal ABC’s: The Foundation of Herbal Medicine 2018 Wise Acres LLC
De La Foret, R, Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients into Foods & Remedies that Heal, 2017, Hay House
