Mint – More Than Just A Breath Freshener

You probably equate mint to the flavoring used in toothpaste or your chewing gum. However, mint can be used more extensively than just as a breath freshener. The aerial parts of the mint herb can be used as a herbal remedy to treat various types of ailments. Ailments generally include digestive disorders, colic and fatulence. Additionally, mint is often used to treat motion sickness and nausea. If you are suffering from flu or fever, mint can be used to help promote sweating to break the illness. Mint is also called bo he in Chinese herbal medicine and it used to help relieve the symptoms of liver stagnation or other digestive complaints. This herbal remedy is best used right after harvesting.

You can use the mint plant’s aerial parts to prepare an inhalation, tincture, compress, or an infusion, depending upon your needs. A hot tea can be made as well and this is the easiest way to ingest mint.

With thirty different varieties of mint, there can be a lot of herbal remedies that can be prepared out of them. Peppermint is the preferred mint herbal remedy in the western world. In China, it is the field mint. Garden mint, or spearmint, is another very popular mint herbal remedy, more commonly used for children.

An essential oil is one of the most common ways to derive benefits from mint. Peppermint oil is very popular and it contains large amounts of menthol. Peppermint oil is known for its analgesic, calming, and cooling affect on your body. This is a good remedy for treating and relieving headaches, migraines, treating fevers, and treating skin problems. This oil is considered antibacterial in nature as well, which is great for using on minor infections.

Inhaling peppermint oil can help relieve severe nasal congestion, but you do not need to do this often, because it may irritate your mucous membranes. Young children should not use peppermint oil and nursing mothers should stay away from peppermint oil, because it can reduce your milk flow.

Mint can also be used as an ingredient in cooking. It is used in mint chocolates, desserts and candies. An interesting thing to note though that the mint that most Asians are familiar with does not belong to the mint family although its general appearance and odor are reminiscent. Mint in asian cooking is used in laksa and malay cooking. It is a commonly used ingredient in Vietnamese cooking.

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