Spearmint plant
The spearmint plant belongs to the mint family. There are many benefits of spearmint. Spearmint plants as we know are grown all across the globe for culinary as well as medicinal uses. These plants are widely used as flavoring agents in various types of food items. We see a large variety of mint-flavored products like toothpaste, fresheners, cosmetics, antimicrobial products, etc in grocery and medical shops.
Mint plants are perennials that grow very quickly in any given climatic condition. There are more than 30 species of mint plants. The most commonly grown varieties are peppermint and spearmint. Both the species have a lot of similarities in taste. Spearmint’s name comes from the spear-like shape of the leaves.
Spearmint plant popular uses
Spearmint is widely popular for its unique taste and aroma. It is also known worldwide for its nutraceutical properties. For ages, spearmint has had a significant contribution in natural holistic treatments practiced in different geographical parts of the world. Spearmint is full of health benefits, and it is also very easy to cultivate spearmint in any local condition.
Nutritional composition of Spearmint
Spearmint is high in antioxidants and several vitamins like C, A, and B. Other abundant components include folate, flavones, limonene, dihydrocarvone, and cineol. The aroma of spearmint is like peppermint. However, it is a little sweeter than peppermint as it contains less amount of menthol than peppermint.
Lets find out the 5 key benefits:
1. Spearmint for gastrointestinal problems
There are several studies to link spearmint tea as an effective natural herb to help in reducing stomach problems. Irritable bowel syndrome is one of the common disorders which is generally a chronic intestinal condition for some people. People with this condition have a persistent stomach ache, diarrhea, constipation, flatulence, etc. Spearmint is a clinically proven natural remedy for controlling IBS symptoms. Optimum consumption of spearmint helps in relaxing the stomach muscles and improving gut function. Spearmint oil has also shown its effectiveness in reducing severe nausea and vomiting.
2. Spearmint for anti-androgenic agent
Spearmint is regarded to have anti-androgenic properties. Androgens are the hormones found in both males and females. Androgens are naturally in abundance in males, and relatively less in women. Testosterone and androstenedione are the primary androgens in the human body. In women, the presence of androgens more than the expected levels causes the condition hyperandrogenism. Hyperandrogenism is responsible for many symptoms in women like scalp hair loss, acne, histruism (Hirsutism (HUR-soot-iz-um) is a condition in women that results in excessive growth of dark or coarse hair in a male-like pattern — face, chest, and back), absent menstruation, etc.
This condition has now become one of the leading causes of diabetes and rapid weight gain, especially in women of reproductive age. There are several clinical pieces of research that have proven spearmint’s effectual anti-androgenic properties. Drinking spearmint tea twice daily for more than thirty to forty days has shown effective lowering down of the testosterone levels. Lowered testosterone levels simultaneously increase the estradiol levels which is a female hormone, thus improving the hyperandrogenism condition.
3. Spearmint for PCOS
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the disease that is the foremost cause of infertility in women due to hyperandrogenism. Hormonal imbalance leads to anovulation i.e. missed menstruation cycles. About 70% of PCOS cases are attributed to the increased levels of androgens. Some women are predisposed to the overproduction of androgens in their bodies. The effect of spearmint in controlling testosterone and free testosterone has been studied in many types of research. Thus, the consumption of spearmint is the natural way of reducing androgen levels which subsequently improves the PCOS condition in women. This has been also labeled as safe by the US FDA.
4. Spearmint as antimicrobial agent
Spearmint essential oil has been studied several times for its possible antimicrobial property also. In one of the studies, before the cultivation process, seeds were subjected to treatment with spearmint essential oil. The resultant plantation was found to be largely disease-free.
It has been found that the application of spearmint essential oil may effectively reduce the environmental fungus. Several studies have shown considerable growth inhibition in fungal aerosols after coming in contact with spearmint oil. It also has the likely ability to kill the bacteria responsible for bad breath and mouth ulcers.
5. Spearmint for anxiety and stress
Spearmint may help in reducing anxiety and stress. However, there are limited studies to account for the effectiveness of spearmint in reducing anxiety. Nevertheless, it’s a popular natural stress buster agent in western countries. Regular drinking of spearmint tea may improve sleep disorder by directly controlling insomnia. This may be due to the presence of the active compound in the plant i.e. menthol. This compound has an excellent sedative property which induces the relaxation effect in the body.
How to use Spearmint
Spearmint can be consumed in various easy ways. Most commonly it is taken in the form of tea and several other non-alcoholic beverages. Spearmint essential oil is also popular as a household cleaner. It is used for refreshing the indoor smells. Spearmint is also widely used in mints, gums, toothpaste, etc. due to its bad breath-freshening property. This herb can be blended with both sweet and salty flavors. It is often used as a flavoring agent in large varieties of vegetable dishes, fish, meats, and also in several desserts.