How to Use Mint Plant As a Medicine

The mint plant originated in the Mediterranean and has medicinal uses.

Mint is a Mediterranean herb that was historically traded and grown throughout Europe. Early colonists brought mint with them to America where it now grows wild and in gardens. Mint is a perennial that prefers cool, damp soil. The most popular forms are spearmint and peppermint. However, peppermint is most commonly used medicinally, according to Hamilton College. Peppermint contains menthol , which creates the cool feeling experienced when eating mint. The aerial parts of the plant are medicinal and have anti-spasmodic, aromatic and nerve tonic actions, according to David Hoffmann in his book "The New Holistic Herbal. "

Things You'll Need

• Mint tea
• Mint essential oil
• Fresh mint leaves
• Mortar and pestle

Instructions

1. Crush the leaves of fresh peppermint with a mortar and pestle and apply to painful joints. This mash of leaves helps alleviate aches and pains and should only be applied to closed skin and not open wounds.

2. Apply a crushed mint leaf mash to the chest to help relieve pneumonia. This practice was used by the Menominee nation, according to the University of Wisconsin.

3. Drink mint tea as a digestive aid. The oils found in the leaves stimulate the digestive process. Mint tea was used by the Pawnee, Omaha and other nations to improve digestion issues like heartburn and gas.

4. Use mint tea as a mild sedative. Mint tea may help reduce insomnia when taken just before going to bed.

5. Use the essential oil of mint topically. Peppermint oil has been used to treat body aches, according to Hamilton College. The medicinal action of mint oil is due to its anti-spasmodic actions that help relieve pain.

6. Use the herb lemon balm to reduce anxiety. Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is included in the mint family and has been used to decrease the symptoms of anxiety, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Adult doses range from 300 to 500 mg, taken three times a day.

Tips & Warnings

• Use high quality essential oil products to ensure the purity of the oil.

• To use mint essential oil topically, dilute the oil in a carrier oil such as almond oil or jojoba oil.

• Health food stores often carry fresh mint in the produce section, dry mint in bulk herb sections and carry mint teas and essential oils.

• Do not rely on mint to cure illnesses like pneumonia. It should be used in conjunction with other medications.

References

• Hamilton College: Mint
• University of Wisconsin: Herbs
• University of Maryland: Lemon Balm
• "The New Holistic Herbal"; David Hoffmann; 1990