Peppermint

Peppermint is a herb, a natural cross between water mint and spearmint, that grows throughout Europe, North America and the Mediterranean. Both its leaves and its essential oil have long been used for health purposes, especially for digestive complaints.

Type

Plant

Botanical name

Mentha × piperita

Plant

Peppermint is an upright perennial herb that spreads by underground stems and can form an aggressive ground cover. Its square, reddish-green stems carry lance-shaped, toothed leaves dotted with glands underneath, and in summer it bears dense spikes of small pink to lavender flowers, but it rarely sets seed. It prefers rich, moist soil in partial shade.

Uses

The fresh or dried leaves and flowers are used in teas, drinks, jellies, syrups, sweets, ice cream and mint sauce. Peppermint essential oil is taken from the flowering parts and leaves of the plant.

Peppermint leaf, usually taken as herbal tea, is traditionally used to relieve indigestion and flatulence in adults and children over 4 years. The basis is long use, as evidence from clinical trials is insufficient; symptoms that worsen or last more than two weeks need a doctor.

Health Canada's monograph gives the same traditional use, to aid digestion and to help relieve indigestion with flatulence, and sets leaf doses for children from 2 years. According to the US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, very little research has been done on the leaf, and there is not enough evidence to say whether it helps any health condition.

Safety

Peppermint tea appears to be safe, but the long-term safety of large amounts of peppermint leaf is unknown. Peppermint leaf preparations can worsen acid reflux and heartburn, and people with gallstones or other bile problems should be careful with them. Health Canada also advises asking a doctor before use in anaemia. Eating large amounts of the plant can cause vomiting and diarrhoea.

Products containing it

• Artichoke Apero (D 206)
• Peppermint and green tea tablets (S 08)