Mint is a fragrant and delicious plant that is an ingredient in many foods and beverages. It also has health benefits that may include relieving indigestion, improving brain function, and masking bad breath.
Mint is the name for over a dozen plant species, including peppermint and spearmint, that belong to the genus Mentha.
These plants are particularly known for the cooling sensation they impart. They can be added to foods in both fresh and dried forms.
Mint is a popular ingredient in several foods and beverages, ranging from teas and alcoholic drinks to sauces, salads and desserts.
While eating the plant offers some health benefits, research shows that several of mint’s health benefits come from applying it to the skin, inhaling its aroma or taking it as a capsule.
. Rich in nutrients
While not typically consumed in large quantities, mint does contain a fair amount of nutrients.
In fact, just 2 tablespoons (11.4 grams)Trusted Source of spearmint contains:
Calories: 5
Fiber: 0.8 grams
Vitamin A: 3% of the Daily Value (DV)Trusted Source
Iron: 8% of the DV
Manganese: 6% of the DV
Folate: 3% of the DV
Because of its dynamic flavor, mint is often added to recipes in small amounts, so consuming even 2 tablespoons may be difficult. However, it’s possible you may come close to this amount in some salad recipes that include mint among the other ingredients.
Mint is a particularly good source of vitamin A, a fat-soluble vitamin that is critical for eye health and night vision.
It is also a potent source of antioxidants, especially when compared to other herbs and spices. Antioxidants help protect your body from oxidative stress, a type of damage to cells caused by free radicals.
. May improve irritable bowel syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common digestive tract disorder. It is characterized by digestive symptoms like stomach pain, gas, bloating and changes in bowel habits.
Although treatment for IBS often includes dietary changes and taking medications, research shows that taking peppermint oil as an herbal remedy might also be helpful.
Peppermint oil contains a compound called menthol, which is thought to help alleviateTrusted Source IBS symptoms through its relaxing effects on the muscles of the digestive tract.
A 2014 review of nine studiesTrusted Source including over 700 patients with IBS found that taking peppermint oil capsules improved IBS symptoms significantly more than placebo capsules.
However, a 2021 studyTrusted Source found that peppermint oil and placebo both showed clinically meaningful improvement in IBS symptoms. However, there were no significant differences between the groups. Further large, rigorous trials are needed to evaluate the role of peppermint oil for the treatment of IBS.
Notably, nearly all research showing IBS symptom relief used oil capsules rather than raw mint leaves.3. May help relieve indigestion
Mint may also be effective at relieving other digestive problems such as upset stomach and indigestion.
Indigestion may occur when food sits in the stomach for too long before passing into the rest of the digestive tract.
Multiple studiesTrusted Source have shown that food passes through the stomach quicker when people take peppermint oil with meals, which could relieve symptoms from this type of indigestion.
Similar to IBS, studies highlighting mint’s ability to relieve indigestion used peppermint oil rather than fresh or dried leaves.
4. Could improve brain function
In addition to ingesting mint, there are claims that inhaling the aroma of essential oils from the plant could provide health benefits, including improved brain function.
One 2022 animal study demonstrated that smelling the aroma of peppermint essential oil produced significant improvements in learning and memory, as well as protecting neurons and reducing damage from brain tiossue oxidation.
Another study in 2015 found that smelling these oils while driving increased alertness and decreased levels of frustration, anxiety and fatigue.
More research is needed to help understand how it may work and investigate whether peppermint does, in fact, improve brain function
5. May decrease breastfeeding pain
Breastfeeding mothers commonly experience sore and cracked nipples, which can make breastfeeding painful and difficult.
Studies have shown that applying mint to the skin can help relieve pain associated with breastfeeding.
In these studies, breastfeeding mothers applied various forms of mint to the area around the nipple after each feeding. Typically, they used an essential oil on its own or mixed with gel or water.
One studyTrusted Source showed that only 3.8% of mothers who applied a peppermint gel experienced nipple cracks, compared to 6.9% of those who used lanolin and 22.6% of those who used a placebo.
Furthermore, an additional studyTrusted Source showed that both the pain and severity of nipple cracks decreased in mothers who applied menthol essential oil after each feeding.
However, a 2022 study found expressed breast milk to be more effective than peppermint water in relieving cracked nipples, so further research is needed.
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