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Peppermint Magic?
A Bite Sized Read for your Health and Waistline
Is there a more seasonal flavor?! Everything (and I mean everything) is flavored peppermint in December. Maybe there’s more to it than simply reminding us of candy canes.
Peppermint is an herb from the mint family native to Europe and Asia. It’s typically used as a flavoring mostly with mints, candies, candy canes, etc. When we look for the health benefit, I want to be clear, the research on peppermint uses peppermint extracts. So…no promises on your peppermint mocha or your breath mints, and frankly, no promises on your teas either. Let’s look at what we know…
Maybe you’ve heard about mint tea for digestion, or mint in general for GI upset. This goes beyond anecdotes. It may prevent the smooth muscles of the digestive tract from contracting and relieve muscle spasms. In addition, peppermint provides relief of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms. We even see pain relief in kids as the consumption of peppermint reduces the frequency, length, and severity of abdominal pain. This may also be connected to research showing peppermint oil capsules were helpful in alleviating side effects from chemo treatment.
You’ll also hear people talk about peppermint for relief of muscle cramps or even menstrual cramps, plus tension pains, headaches, and migraines which may…
