Believed to be a hybrid of spearmint (Mentha spicata) and water mint (Mentha aquatica), the highly aromatic, pleasant tasting peppermint is a very popular herbal tea however it is also significantly medicinal and should not be underestimated as a herbal extract. It is often taken after meals because of its carminative properties but it should be avoided by people who are prone to heartburn, acid reflux or hiatus hernia. This is due to the fact that it relaxes the stomach and oesophageal valve, potentially exacerbating these conditions. Therefore it is best drunk as a tea, or taken as a liquid extract, when needed rather than as a daily habit. It is widely known to relieve digestive ailments including indigestion, flatulence, nausea and associated problems.
It may come as a surprise to some people that while peppermint may be cooling at first it then warms the system and encourages sweating. It has been used in both traditional Chinese medicine and Western herbalism as a diaphoretic to address fevers that accompany colds and influenza. According to UK herbalist, Lucy Jones, although cooling in action superficially peppermint raises the internal heat of the body and encourages sweating but less strongly than some of the other diaphoretic herbs.
Peppermint is one of the stars of a classic botanical blend of synergistic herbs that is still common today for the onset of colds and influenza. It is a combination of equal parts yarrow (Achillea millefolium), elder flowers (Sambucus nigra) and peppermint, colloquially known as Y.E.P. Maud Grieve said “An infusion of equal quantities of Peppermint herb and Elder flowers (to which either Yarrow or Boneset may be added) will banish a cold or mild attack of influenza within thirty-six hours, and there is no danger of an overdose or any harmful action on the heart. Peppermint tea is used also for palpitation of the heart.”
References
Jones L. A Working Herbal Dispensary. Aeon Books:Glasgow. 2023. p.275
Jones L. A Working Herbal Dispensary. Aeon Books:Glasgow. 2023. p.275
Grieve M. A Modern Herbal. Middlesex:Penguin Books. 1978
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