Freshly Minted: Using Peppermint to Settle Your Stomach
You’ve heard of peppermint, right? We are sure you have. Peppermint is a world-renowned herb often used as an ingredient for various dishes and beverages, as a component for perfume, cosmetics, and much more. People love peppermint teas, oils, and extracts because of the health benefits they provide, particularly digestive benefits. A good peppermint extract can really help you settle things inside.
Peppermint (Mentha X piperita) is a perennial plant that prefers a tropical climate and grows up to 90 cm in height. Peppermint blooms with purple flowers among its trademark green leaves and is well-known as one of the oldest herbs to be used for medicinal purposes.
Peppermint has been traditionally used in folk Chinese and Japanese medicine for centuries due to its ability to soothe the stomach. Ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians emphasized the health benefits of peppermint extracts in their scriptures. Greek mythology tells us the story of nymph Menta who was turned into an odorous herb by Pluto as he wanted people to adore her for years to come, her fragrant and pleasant smell enchanting many.
The Inner Workings
Peppermint Extract is a rich source of nutrients including potassium, iron, manganese, magnesium, folate, calcium and copper. Peppermint contains omega-3 fatty acids, retinol, ascorbic acid, menthol, menthone, and methyl esters that give peppermint its powerful soothing properties.
Peppermint Extract as a Stomach Soothing Agent
A widely known benefit of Peppermint is its ability to soothe the gastrointestinal tract, reducing discomforts such as bloating. The antimicrobial, analgesic, antiviral and soothing effects that a peppermint extract can provide cannot be overstated.
Peppermint has often been used for abdominal discomforts and as a motion sickness reliever due to its comforting effects. The menthol content found inside peppermint helps relax stomach muscles and can help fight indigestion. Peppermint Extract can help improve appetite and is known to combat chronic gastrointestinal conditions.
Quite impressive, isn't it?
