Peppermint Oil: Uses, Benefits and Medicine to treat to treat the stomach
Peppermint is an aromatic herb in the mint family. It’s a hybrid mint that’s a cross between spearmint and watermint. It can be found naturally in North America and Europe.
Peppermint essential oil can be extracted from the leaves of the peppermint plant and is used for a variety of purposes. It has a sharp odor that’s cool and refreshing, and the taste is similar. You may be familiar with the coolness in your mouth after you consume something with a peppermint flavor.
The main chemical components of peppermint oil are menthol and menthone. However, there are many more as well.
Scientific name
Peppermint oil comes from the peppermint plant, Mentha x piperita.
Read on to discover more about the forms of peppermint oil, its uses, and potential health benefits.
Peppermint oil has a wide variety of uses. For example, it can be used as:
- a remedy for a variety of conditions, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), nausea, and other digestive issues, as well as the common cold and headaches
- a topical application for relief from itching, muscle pain, and headache
- a flavoring agent in foods and products such as mouthwashes
- a fresh, pleasing scent added to soaps and cosmetic products
Ways to use peppermint oil
People can use peppermint oil in a variety of ways. It can be:
- applied topically (on the skin)
- diffused in the form of essential oil
- ingested orally in tablet or capsule form
- applied intranasally (putting droplets inside the nose)
It’s important to be careful that you are not ingesting peppermint essential oil. You should always check with a doctor before consuming peppermint oil in any form or applying it topically
Records of the medicinal use of mint plants go all the way back to the times of Ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. So, what does modern research say about the benefits of peppermint oil?
While some of the potential benefits of peppermint oil are based on personal testimony, research is ongoing into the health benefits. We’ll explore some of that research below.
For IBS
Some of the most extensive research into the benefits of peppermint oil has focused on IBS. IBS is a chronic (long-term) gastrointestinal (GI) condition that can involve:
- abdominal pain
- diarrhea
- constipation
A 2019 review Trusted Source of 12 trials examined the efficacy of peppermint oil capsules in treating IBS when compared with a placebo. Researchers found that treatment with peppermint oil improved abdominal pain and other symptoms of IBS.
The specific ways peppermint oil helps ease symptoms of IBS and other GI conditions are largely unknown. Some possible effects Trusted Source include:
- relaxing the smooth muscles of the GI tract
- having an anti-inflammatory effect
- affecting the types of bacteria that naturally live in the GI tract
- decreasing pain sensation in the GI tract
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