Peppermint is a cross between spearmint and winter mint. In recent times, peppermint tea has garnered a lot of attention for its visible benefits. This article explores all the benefits of peppermint tea and reasons why you should start drinking it right away. 

Benefits of peppermint tea

Peppermint tea has been used for ages immemorial for different medicinal purposes. It is natively grown in Europe, where it has been used for treating various woes and brewed as a tea for instant energy boosts. In India, it has been used as a tea, as a way to treat indigestion, cold, and cough. It is Persian folklore to use peppermint to chew peppermint to reduce toothaches. So, it can be safely assumed that peppermint tea is not a fad. It is rather an age-old remedy for a lot of woes and problems that can be solved naturally. Peppermint also gives its users a healthy dose of antioxidants and flavonoids. These release free radicals in the human body to help combat premature ageing and waging off chronic diseases. Some of the benefits of consuming peppermint tea can be listed as:

Health Benefits Of Peppermint Tea

A brewed cup of peppermint tea releases essential oils, giving it a unique scent and flavour. These essential oils help reduce indigestion and its side effects like bloating, gas, lack of appetite, nausea, etc. These essential oils also help to improve the immune system, as they are antimicrobial and antifungal. The menthol that is released from the brewing of peppermint tea helps soothe the stomach muscles, which in turn helps people who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome. It also increases the bile production in the stomach that contributes to improved digestion. 

Peppermint Tea Soothes upset stomach 

The menthol in the peppermint tea also helps in solving an upset stomach case. Menthol relaxes the muscles that would either have contracted or caused cramping. This also helps reduce inflammation that reduces bloating. This relieves a person from feeling full too. 

Get rid of bad breath by Drinking Peppermint Tea

It is not just the flavour for which toothpaste contains peppermint. The menthol in peppermint also has a property that helps keep bad breath at bay. Individuals can brew a cup of peppermint tea for themselves first thing in the morning or at any time when they feel the breath is starting to smell to relieve themselves of the problem instantly. Also, one can treat themselves to a cup of tea after saving smelly foods to get rid of their breath. It must be noted that the tea must be brewed from original leaves and not just added flavour to utilise the benefits. 

Combat cold and flu by drinking Peppermint Tea

The menthol in peppermint is a natural muscle relaxant. The menthol in peppermint tea helps soothe a sore throat, open a blocked nose, congestion in the chest, and reduce other chest ailments like bronchitis. Moreover, the antioxidants in peppermint tea can improve the immune system and aid it to fight off against bacteria and viruses. 

Peppermint Tea Improves skin and hair to be healthy

Peppermint has been used for a long time in ayurvedic treatments and recipes. Peppermint is still used in salons for different hair and skin treatments. It helps to remove dandruff from the hair and reduces inflammation and itchiness of the scalp. If you want to see the best results, then use peppermint tea to wash your hair and wash it after 10-15 minutes. The property of peppermint to reduce inflammation helps reduce the redness caused by acne and sterilize bacterial inflammation by unclogging pores. 

Peppermint Tea may help in Weight Loss

It is a known fact now that peppermint tea aids in weight loss. Peppermint tea has only 2.52 kcal. It is low in calories, reduces cravings for sugar, and improves digestion. Peppermint tea also keeps one full for a long time, and therefore it reduces appetite. The tea has a lot of caffeine and catechins, which increases the body temperature making it a perfect drink for pre-workout. 

Peppermint Tea may reduce Menstrual Cramps Pain

It is known by now that peppermint tea has menthol that acts as a muscle relaxant. So, if you ever face severe menstrual cramps, you can brew yourself a warm cup of peppermint tea and sip on it to relieve your pain slowly. Also, research has proven that peppermint can help reduce the severity and duration of menstrual cramps. In very little time, the pain will gradually reduce. So, now you may be thinking about how you can brew yourself such a perfect concoction. Read on to know about the easy recipes to help yourself. 

How to brew yourself the perfect cup of peppermint tea?

Recipe for peppermint tea for weight loss

• To make this tea, you would need 5 or 7 mint leaves, chopped or fresh leaves and a cup of water. 
• Boil the cup of water with the leaves in it for 30 seconds.
  Cover the brew with a lid and let it sit for 3 minutes. 
• You can strain it if you want or keep the leaves in it for an enhanced essence. 
• Enjoy your brewed cup of peppermint tea. 

Recipe for peppermint ginger tea for weight loss 

• To make a peppermint ginger tea, you would need 1 teaspoon of dried peppermint leaves, 3 to 4 chopped peppermint leaves, 1 teaspoon grated ginger, and a cup of water.
• Boil all the ingredients together for 3 minutes. 
• Strain it and enjoy your freshly brewed cup. 

Why add Ginger and peppermint tea?

If you get bored of drinking peppermint tea, you can add ginger to it and make it more enjoyable by following the above recipe. The combination of ginger and peppermint has the same benefits as peppermint tea and taste. This combination gives the benefit of relieving congestion, blocked nose, and cough in a better way due to the attribute of ginger to combat them. 

How often should you drink peppermint tea?

There is no established and recommended number of cups for how many cups of peppermint tea one can drink in a day. But if you are thinking about how much to drink, you can easily consume around 1-2 cups a day. Also, peppermint tea has no caffeine in it, so it does not affect the sleep cycles. But that does not mean that you can drink as much as you want in a day, as excess consumption can have certain side effects. The following section elaborates on it. 

What are the side effects of drinking peppermint tea?

There are certain side effects to using peppermint tea for some individuals. They should avoid consuming it at all costs to avoid any unnecessary ailments. The ones who should be avoiding peppermint tea can be listed as follows. 

People with acid reflux

Since peppermint has anti-inflammatory properties and menthol acts as a muscle relaxant, it relaxes the muscle in the oesophagus, stopping acid in the stomach and bile in it. So suppose that you suffer from acid reflux problems and similar other ailments like GERD. In that case, you should avoid peppermint tea at all costs to aggravate indigestion and heartburn situations. 

Pregnant women

Women can drink mint tea even during their pregnancy. However, they should limit it since research shows that drinking excessive peppermint tea can cause uterine contractions. So, if you want to be extra cautious especially during the first trimester, then you should avoid drinking peppermint tea. Also, when a woman breastfeeds, they should avoid drinking peppermint tea since the peppermint essence is said to cause breathing problems in children. 

Other medical ailments

You should consult your doctor when you have a medicinal routine for any ailment if you can intake peppermint tea. Since the essence of peppermint tea can deter the working of your medicines and should be consumed with care under such circumstances. 

Final Thoughts!

Peppermint tea can be safely included as an all-natural solution to many bodily ailments. It can be consumed safely to take advantage of the numerous benefits it confers. It also cannot be stated that tea is only a fad as it has been used in history to cure and medication. Therefore, if you do not fall into any of the categories that restrict the consumption of peppermint tea, it should be a habit to consume it daily. It has been proven to have long term health benefits with daily consumption. So, what are you waiting for? Go and brew yourself a perfect cup of peppermint tea! 

Frequently Asked Questions on Peppermint tea:

Is peppermint tea a stimulant? 

Peppermint tea is caffeine-free and natural. So, it cannot keep you awake for long if you are feeling sleepy. But it does improve mental alertness and focus. It has also been seen that peppermint tea improves memory retention and helps in long-term and short-term memory improvement. So, when you are not feeling sleepy and want to focus on some work, peppermint tea is your best friend. The antioxidants in peppermint tea release endorphins, which improves the alertness and focus of the mind. 

Does peppermint tea help you lose belly fat?

It would be a lie to state that peppermint tea reduces belly fat, but it surely does help. Also, since fat loss cannot be targeted, there is no way you can only target your belly or your thighs to lose weight. Peppermint tea has catechins that help reduce appetite. So you can lose your sugar cravings and start eating healthy again. Also, it increases the body temperature, which is a sign of increased adrenaline, a great supplement for workouts. 

Is peppermint safe to drink?

Peppermint leaves and peppermint are absolutely free of any chemicals and are natural. So they are completely safe to consume except for certain groups of people who should not consume them. But it is always recommended to brew the perfect cup of tea and then enjoy the essence of peppermint. Otherwise, it can give opposite results than intended. 

How long does peppermint tea take to work?

Every person is different, and so is their human body. So, it is difficult to ascertain the amount of time peppermint requires to start showing results. But usually, if a person has drunk peppermint tea for ingestion or heartburn, the tea starts working within 40 to 60 minutes.