Peppermint is the most widely used mint, and its essential oil is distilled from its leaves. The Ebers papyrus, the oldest surviving medical text mentions mint. Greeks and Romans crowned themselves with mint for banquets. The ancient custom of chewing mint at the end of a meal led to the convention of "after-dinner mints."

Leaves used in tea, sachets, and essential oil.

Peppermint essential oil is:

• Anti-inflammatory
• An aid to digestion
• Cooling
• Carminative
• Clearing
• A muscle relaxant
• Helpful in improving respiratory performance

Peppermint leaves are used in cooking and in teas. These concoctions are flavourful but also can relieve stress, headaches, and menstrual cramps. Peppermint essential oil is commonly used as an inhalant that relieves nausea and respiratory problems and aids digestion. It can also be used as a gargle to freshen the breath and soothe the stomach. Some peppermint oil in bath water makes a cooling lotion for sensitive skin. Peppermint oil on a rag will repel rats and mice.

 

None