Peppermint, spearmint, lemon balm and other members of the mint family have some of the most distinctive aromas in the plant world. Their pungent, spicy scents have earned the various mints a place in the traditional medicine cabinet since the time of the Romans. Today's aromatherapists follow a long tradition of using mint for healing and emotional well-being.
History
In nearly every culture, people have chewed mint leaves or drunk mint tea to soothe digestive upsets and improve digestion. While you wouldn't wear a wreath of mint leaves to a dinner party to aid your digestion as the Romans did, you could follow the advice James Duke gives in his book "The Green Pharmacy"--a cup of peppermint tea to soothe indigestion. Even better, he says, try a mint julep or mix a few drops of peppermint tincture into a glass of water and drink it to calm an upset stomach.
Traditional Uses
In "A Modern Herbal," published in 1931, Maud Grieve offers many recipes for using fresh mint leaves, the dried herb and mint oils in teas, tinctures, compresses, creams and ointments. At the first signs of a cold or flu, she recommends, make an infusion of equal parts dried peppermint and elderflower and drink a cup several times a day. She also recommends tea made with one ounce of dried peppermint leaves to a pint of boiling water, "taken freely in wineglassful doses," to cure a cold or head off the flu. For rheumatism, lumbago and neuralgia, use peppermint oil in plasters or rub it on the temples.
Contemporary Aromatherapy Uses
Contemporary aromatherapy continues many of the traditional uses of peppermint. Today's practitioners still recommend that you massage your temples and forehead with peppermint oil to ease migraine. For a sinus headache, add eucalyptus oil and peppermint oil to steaming water and inhale the steam.
A few drops of peppermint oil in a diffuser can improve your concentration and diminish depression, says Roberta Wilson, author of "Aromatherapy: Essential Oils for Vibrant Health and Beauty." If you don't have the luxury of scenting a whole room, put a few drops of essential oil on a cotton ball. Keep it in a plastic bag so you can inhale it as needed to relieve nausea, lift your mood, relieve a headache or ease motion sickness.
Topical Applications
Menthol, a primary constituent of peppermint essential oil, relieves pain and itching. A cloth soaked in warm water with a few drops of peppermint oil added makes a warm compress to ease the pain of arthritis. Add a few drops of peppermint to a carrier oil to make a massage oil for sore, overworked muscles.
Peppermint hydrosol--a by-product of steam distillation of essential oil--repels mosquitoes, relieves itching from dermatitis and sunburn, normalizes oily skin and minimizes broken capillaries and varicose veins. Spritz it on your hair, splash it on your face, or spray it on your pillowcases at bedtime to help you relax.
Research
In a 2004 clinical trial conducted at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, researchers had 33 post-operative patients inhale gauze pads scented with either peppermint oil, isopropyl alcohol or saline solution. All of the patients reported an equal decrease in nausea. The researchers concluded that aromatherapy is effective, but it may have more to do with controlled breathing patterns than with the scent.
Researchers at the University of Northumbria in the U.K. had 144 volunteers take cognitive tests and complete a mood evaluation while being exposed to either peppermint, ylang ylang or no aroma. The peppermint group scored better on alertness and memory tests than the other two groups.
A review of aromatherapy studies published in the "Journal of Advanced Nursing" in 2004 concluded that there is "little empirical evidence to support the use of aromatherapy in nursing beyond enhancing relaxation" and called for collaborative research to further explore clinical applications.
Cautions
Peppermint oil capsules may cause heartburn or diarrhea. Avoid ingesting pure peppermint oil. If you have achlorhydria, gastroesophageal reflux disease--GERD--or liver disease, avoid ingesting products that contain peppermint oil. Undiluted peppermint oil may cause dermatitis or irritate the skin. Do not use peppermint oil on or around the face of an infant, warns the University of Maryland Medical Center. It may cause serious breathing problems.
References
- "The Green Pharmacy: New Discoveries in Herbal Remedies for Common Diseases"; James A. Duke; 1997
- "The Green Pharmacy Herbal Handbook"; James A. Duke, Ph.D.; 2002
- "Aromatherapy: Essential Oils for Vibrant Health and Beauty"; Roberta Wilson; 2002
- "Healing with Aromatherapy"; Marlene Erickson; 2000
- Botanical: A Modern Herbal--Mints
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