Mint Oil Benefits

Distilled from the peppermint plant, Mentha x piperita, mint oil lends flavor to chewing gum, toothpaste and candies and a wide range of medicines. Peppermint, spearmint, water mint and other mints have a long history of medicinal uses, some of them dating back to the Romans. In addition to sweetening your breath and flavoring your favorite candies, mint oil has lesser known health benefits.

Helps Digestion

Peppermint "restores the functions of the stomach, promotes digestion," wrote Samuel Stearns in "The American Herbal" in 1801. Mint oil, unlike many other traditional herbal remedies, has withstood the test of science and clinical trials. Mint oil, usually in combination with other essential oils, is as effective in relieving mild indigestion as cisapride, a pharmaceutical only available through special prescription in the U.S., according to a 2003 article in the magazine Phytomedicine, which summarized the findings of several double-blind studies on the effects of peppermint oil and caraway oil on chronic dyspepsia.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Mint oil reduces the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), concluded a group of scientists at G d'Annunzio University in Italy. In the double-blind study, 57 patients with IBS took two capsules daily of either a coated peppermint oil capsule or a placebo. At the end of four weeks, 75 percent of those taking peppermint oil reported at least 50 percent reduction in IBS symptoms, while only 38 percent of the placebo group reported the same relief. Other studies, including one with children, showed similar results, though at least one study found no significant difference in the treatment group.

Migraine Relief

Some aromatherapists recommend mint oil to treat migraine and tension headaches. In a 1996 study, participants treated tension headaches with either acetaminophen, 10 percent peppermint essential oil or one of two placebos. The study's authors concluded that treatment with mint oil was as effective as taking acetaminophen. They also found that using the two in combination seemed to have an additive effect, but the difference in effect wasn't statistically significant.

Decongestant Properties

Menthol, the primary constituent in mint oil, helps break up congestion and thins mucus, making mint oil a natural alternative to over-the-counter decongestants and expectorants. Do not apply mint oil to the face or head of infants or young children, though, as the fumes can cause life-threatening problems with breathing.