Peppermint tea is a drink that is either a mixture of
teaTea is the agricultural product of the leaves, leaf buds, and internodes of the Camellia sinensis plant, prepared and cured by various methods...
and
peppermintPeppermint is a hybrid mint, a cross between the watermint and spearmint . The plant, indigenous to Europe, is now widespread in cultivation throughout all regions of the world...
(
Mentha piperita) or a
tisaneA herbal tea, tisane, or ptisan is an herbal infusion made from anything other than the leaves of the tea bush , which originates from both China and the Middle East.-Etymology:...
(infusion) of peppermint alone. This drink is said to have health benefits. It is sometimes called
mint tea, a phrase that could also refer to tea. Tea made solely from peppermint leaves is naturally caffeine-free, but if blended with
Camellia sinensisCamellia sinensis is the species of plant whose leaves and leaf buds are used to produce tea. It is of the genus Camellia , a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. White tea, green tea, oolong, pu-erh tea and black tea are all harvested from this species, but are processed differently...
leaves it will contain caffeine.
A tea made from blending peppermint and spearmint leaves is referred to as a Doublemint tea.
Though there have been no human clinical trials on the health benefits or risks of peppermint tea, some believe peppermint tea has healing effects, as a result of the
mentholMenthol is an organic compound made synthetically or obtained from peppermint or other mint oils. It is a waxy, crystalline substance, clear or white in color, which is solid at room temperature and melts slightly above. The main form of menthol occurring in nature is -menthol, which is assigned...
that it contains.
Peppermint tea is a drink that is either a mixture of
teaTea is the agricultural product of the leaves, leaf buds, and internodes of the Camellia sinensis plant, prepared and cured by various methods...
and
peppermintPeppermint is a hybrid mint, a cross between the watermint and spearmint . The plant, indigenous to Europe, is now widespread in cultivation throughout all regions of the world...
(
Mentha piperita) or a
tisaneA herbal tea, tisane, or ptisan is an herbal infusion made from anything other than the leaves of the tea bush , which originates from both China and the Middle East.-Etymology:...
(infusion) of peppermint alone. This drink is said to have health benefits. It is sometimes called
mint tea, a phrase that could also refer to tea. Tea made solely from peppermint leaves is naturally caffeine-free, but if blended with
Camellia sinensisCamellia sinensis is the species of plant whose leaves and leaf buds are used to produce tea. It is of the genus Camellia , a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. White tea, green tea, oolong, pu-erh tea and black tea are all harvested from this species, but are processed differently...
leaves it will contain caffeine.
A tea made from blending peppermint and spearmint leaves is referred to as a Doublemint tea.
Health benefits and concerns
Though there have been no human clinical trials on the health benefits or risks of peppermint tea, some believe peppermint tea has healing effects, as a result of the
mentholMenthol is an organic compound made synthetically or obtained from peppermint or other mint oils. It is a waxy, crystalline substance, clear or white in color, which is solid at room temperature and melts slightly above. The main form of menthol occurring in nature is -menthol, which is assigned...
that it contains. It is said to ease such problems as
irritable bowel syndromeIrritable bowel syndrome is a functional gastrointestinal disorder. Also called spastic colon, it is a functional bowel disorder characterized by chronic abdominal pain, discomfort, bloating, and alteration of bowel habits in the absence of any detectable organic cause. In some cases, the symptoms...
,
nauseaNausea is the sensation of unease and discomfort in the stomach with an urge to vomit.-Causes:...
and
vomitingVomiting is the forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose. Undesired vomiting may result from many causes, ranging from gastritis or poisoning to brain tumors, or elevated intracranial pressure...
,
diarrheaIn medicine, diarrhea , also spelled diarrhoea , is the condition of having frequent loose or liquid bowel movements. Acute diarrhea is a common cause of death in developing countries and the second most common cause of infant deaths worldwide...
,
headacheIn medicine a headache or cephalalgia is a symptom of a number of different conditions of the head. Some of the causes are benign while others are medical emergencies.There are a number of different classification systems for headaches...
s and
baby colicBaby colic is a condition in which an otherwise healthy baby cries or screams frequently and for extended periods without any discernible reason....
; for this last, breastfeeding mothers are sometimes recommended to drink the tea themselves, in the belief that its benefits will be passed on to the baby in the breastmilk. Its minty flavour can take the edge off bad breath. It is also said to control mild
asthmaAsthma is a predisposition to chronic inflammation of the lungs in which the airways are reversibly narrowed. Asthma affects 7% of the population of the United States, and 300 million worldwide...
,
manage stressStress management is the amelioration of stress, especially chronic stress.-Historical foundations:Walter Cannon and Hans Selye used animal studies to establish the earliest scientific basis for the study of stress...
and ward off the
common coldAcute viral rhinopharyngitis, or acute coryza, known as an upper respiratory virus, or commonly called a cold, is a contagious, viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory system, primarily caused by rhinoviruses, or coronaviruses...
. In some countries, peppermint tea preparations list these proposed effects on their labels.
However, peppermint has
muscle relaxantA muscle relaxant is a drug which affects skeletal muscle function and decreases the muscle tone. It may be used to alleviate symptoms such as muscle spasms, pain, and hyperreflexia. The term "muscle relaxant" is used to refer to two major therapeutic groups: neuromuscular blockers and spasmolytics...
properties and therefore may relax the lower esophageal sphincter, allowing the contents of the
stomachIn most mammals, the stomach is a hollow, muscular organ of the gastrointestinal tract , between the esophagus and the small intestine. It is involved in the second phase of digestion, following mastication . The word stomach is derived from the Latin stomachus, which derives from the Greek word...
to move upwards into the
esophagusThe esophagus or oesophagus , sometimes known as the gullet, is an organ in vertebrates which consists of a muscular tube through which food passes from the pharynx to the stomach. The word esophagus is derived from the Latin œsophagus, which derives from the Greek word oisophagos , lit...
. For this reason, patients with
gastroesophageal reflux diseaseGastroesophageal reflux disease ', gastro-oesophageal reflux disease ', gastric reflux disease, or acid reflux disease is defined as chronic symptoms or mucosal damage produced by the abnormal reflux inthe esophagus....
(GERD) are advised to avoid peppermint.
Peppermint contains
B vitaminsThe B vitamins are eight water-soluble vitamins that play important roles in cell metabolism. Historically, the B vitamins were once thought to be a single vitamin, referred to as vitamin B . Later research showed that they are chemically distinct vitamins that often coexist in the same foods...
,
calciumCalcium is the chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. It has an atomic mass of 40.078 amu. Calcium is a soft grey alkaline earth metal, and is the fifth most abundant element by mass in the Earth's crust...
and
potassiumPotassium is the chemical element with the symbol K , atomic number 19, and atomic mass 39.0983. Potassium was first isolated from potash...
.
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