Peppermint Oil

Peppermint is a perennial flowering plant in the mint family. It is a cross between water mint and spearmint. It grows throughout Europe and North America. Peppermint is often used to flavor foods. Dried of fresh peppermint leaves are used in teas. Peppermint oil is extracted from the leaves, stem, and flower of the plant. The extracts have been used for a variety of health conditions, including nausea, indigestion, and cold symptoms. It has also been used to treat headaches, muscle and nerve pain, and stomach and bowel conditions such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). The main active ingredient is menthol.

Peppermint plant. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Other Names

Common Names--peppermint oil

Latin Names--Mentha x piperita

How Peppermint Oil Works

Menthol, menthone, cineol, and several other oils are thought to be the medicinally-active components of peppermint oil. The best described action of peppermint oil is the gut. Peppermint oils relax the muscles in the gastrointestinal tract. Normally, muscles contract when calcium enters the muscle cells. Peppermint oils may relax these muscles by preventing calcium from entering the cells lining the gastrointestinal tract. These oils may also relax the sphincter that prevents acid reflux from the stomach into the esophagus. Enteric coated preparations avoid this problem.

Benefits

Peppermint may have to following benefits:

• calming the stomach muscles and improving the flow of bile. This aids in the digestion of fat and helps food to pass through the digestive system more quickly.
• reduce flatulence by relaxing the muscles that allow the body to rid itself of painful gas.
• treatment of the symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), such as pain, bloating, gas, and diarrhea. Some studies have shown that peppermint may be helpful to treat these conditions. There are enteric-coated capsules that keep the oil from being released into the stomach. This can help to protect from heartburn and indigestion.

• help the body break down gallstones.
• help relieve menstrual cramps by relaxing smooth muscles.
• treatment of skin conditions such as poison ivy and poison oak. When applied topically, peppermint soothes and cools the skin on contact, which may be helpful with these problems.
• treatment of headaches by applying it to the forehead and temples.
• Peppermint oil has also exhibited antiviral properties against a number of infectious agents, including herpes.

How It Is Used

Essential oil of peppermint can be taken orally in very small doses in capsule or liquid forms. Typical dosages are 0.2 mL to 0.4 mL of oil three times daily in adults. Typically dosages in children over eight years old are 0.1 mL to 0.2 mL three times daily. The essential oil can also be diluted with another oil and applied to the skin.

Side Effects

• Peppermint oil appears to be safe for most adults when used in small doses. Possible side effects include allergic reactions and heartburn.
• Capsules containing peppermint oil are often coated to reduce the likelihood of heartburn. If they are taken at the same time as medicines such as antacids, this coating can break down more quickly and increase the risk of heartburn and nausea.

Risks

• Many of the preparations have added sugar or alcohol. Therefore, the supplement may complicate conditions such as alcoholism, diabetes, or liver disease.
• Doctors can provide guidance for peppermint oil use in people with health issues such as liver problems, gastroesophageal reflux (heartburn), or gallbladder problems.
• Peppermint oil is not recommended for pregnant women because the oils can induce menstruation.

Research

Research into the medicinal use of peppermint oil has had mixed results.^[1]

• Results from several studies suggest that peppermint oil may improve symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
• A few studies have found that peppermint oil, in combination with caraway oil, may help relieve indigestion, but this evidence is preliminary.
• Some evidence, though inconsistent, suggest that peppermint oil may be given as an enema to prevent spasms in the colon in patients undergoing a barium enema^[1]
• Although there are some promising results, there is no clear-cut evidence to support the use of peppermint oil for other health conditions.

History

Peppermint was probably used as a medicine in ancient Greece, Egypt, and Rome. The genus name, Mentha, is derived from the Greek mythological nymph Mintha who is said to have transformed into the plant. The leaves were used for digestive and gall bladder problems. Inhaled peppermint was used to treat conditions that affected the upper respiratory system and cough.

References

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Kligler B, Chaudhary S. Am Fam Physician. 2007 Apr 1;75(7):1027-30. Abstract| Full Text

External Links

Peppermint. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database Web site.

Natural Standard Database Web site.

University of Maryland Medical Center