Peppermint – Clinical Trials

Over 100 published studies.  Many identifying effectiveness with digestive issues, including constipation and nausea.  IBS trials are inconsistent, but when I looked for root cause in IBS cases, we had to eliminate infections prior to calming and settling digestive function.  One study showed that adding peppermint to your drinking water before and during exercise significantly increased endurance (time to exhaustion at 70% VO2 Max). (1)

History

Dioscorides, a famous Greek physician who lived over 2000 years ago wrote that a spray of Peppermint worn on his cloak raised his depressed spirits. The Roman naturalist Pliny wrote that Peppermint ‘reanimates the spirit’ and he recommended ‘hanging it in sick-rooms to assist convalescence’.

The oldest surviving medical text, the Egyptian Ebers Papyrus, describes the virtues of Peppermint as a stomach soother. The herb was so valued in ancient times that it was accepted as a payment for taxes (just try doing that now!) In Luke (11:39) Jesus scolds the Pharisees “you pay tithes of Mint and Rue but have no care for justice and the love of God”. Dried leaves have been found in Egyptian pyramids dating from 1000bc

Peppermint has been used since ancient times to assist a wide variety of digestive disorders where a mildly sedative and anti-cramping remedy is required. Such conditions include; colitis, travel sickness, excess gas, colic, nausea, vomiting and poor appetite. (2)

Herbalist Comments

Consider with all GI conditions that need digestive stimulation. Use for painful bloating, nausea, gas or indigestion. Attributes: Anti-inflammatory to mucus membranes and healing to ulcerations. Nerve relaxer and pain reliever. Organ Systems: Digestive system. Cautions: None