Need to focus? Try this Brainy Ginkgo and Peppermint Tea Recipe with herbs to give the mind a pick me up: ginkgo, peppermint, and cayenne. Quick and easy to make.
Brainy Ginkgo & Peppermint Tea Recipe Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp of dried Ginkgo biloba leaves
- 1 Tbsp of dried peppermint leaves
- (optional) 1 Sage leaf – organically grown
- 1 tsp of honey
- 1 dash of cayenne
- 3 cups of water
Brainy Ginkgo & Peppermint Tea Recipe Instructions
Pour about 3 cups of hot water over the ginkgo, peppermint, and sage. Steep 8 minutes. Strain. Add honey to taste and a tiny dash of cayenne. Note, you can vary this recipe by just using two of the three herbs: ginkgo, peppermint, and sage.
Brain Ginkgo & Peppermint Tea Recipe Research
- Peppermint odor improved task performance in clerical work. From: Barker, S., Grayhem, P., Koon, J., Perkins, J., Whalen, A., & Raudenbush, B. (2003). Improved performance on clerical tasks associated with administration of peppermint odor. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 97(3), 1007-1010
- Peppermint enhanced memory whereas ylang-ylang impaired it, and peppermint increased alertness while ylang-ylang decreased it, but significantly increased calmness. From: Moss, M., Hewitt, S., Moss, L., & Wesnes, K. (2008). Modulation of cognitive performance and mood by aromas of peppermint and ylang-ylang. International Journal of Neuroscience, 118(1), 59-77.
- Inhaling peppermint, basil, and helichrysum reduced the level of mental fatigue. From: Varney, E., & Buckle, J. (2013). Effect of inhaled essential oils on mental exhaustion and moderate burnout: a small pilot study. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 19(1), 69-71.
- A double blind, placebo controlled, 14 week, parallel group, repeated assessment, multi-centre trial study of 256 healthy middle aged volunteers who took an extract of Ginkgo biloba and Panax ginseng demonstrated improved memory. From: Wesnes, K. A., Ward, T., McGinty, A., & Petrini, O. (2000). The memory enhancing effects of a Ginkgo biloba/Panax ginseng combination in healthy middle-aged volunteers. Psychopharmacology, 152(4), 353-361.
- A total of 188 middle aged volunteers took Ginkgo biloba extract for six weeks and demonstrated improved memory recall. From: Kaschel, R. (2011). Specific memory effects of Ginkgo biloba extract EGb 761 in middle-aged healthy volunteers. Phytomedicine, 18(14), 1202-1207.
- In this double blind placebo controlled parallel group study of 31 patients over 50 years old and with a mild to moderate memory impairment, taking a gingko biloba extract over 6 months showed beneficial results in their cognitive function. From: Rai, G. S., Shovlin, C., & Wesnes, K. A. (1991). A double-blind, placebo controlled study of Ginkgo biloba extract (‘tanakan’) in elderly outpatients with mild to moderate memory impairment. Current medical research and opinion, 12(6), 350-355.
- Ginkgo biloba showed to be promising for those with Alzheimer’s in this systematic review. More research is necessary. From: Janßen, I. M., Sturtz, S., Skipka, G., Zentner, A., Garrido, M. V., & Busse, R. (2010). Ginkgo biloba in Alzheimer’s disease: a systematic review Ginkgo biloba bei Alzheimer Demenz: eine systematische Übersicht. Wiener Medizinische Wochenschrift, 160(21-22), 539-546.
- A placebo-controlled, double blind study with 20 young health adults, showed ginkgo and ginseng to improve cognitive performance. From: Kennedy, D. O., Scholey, A. B., & Wesnes, K. A. (2001). Differential, dose dependent changes in cognitive performance following acute administration of a Ginkgo biloba/Panax ginseng combination to healthy young volunteers. Nutritional neuroscience, 4(5), 399-412.
- In a systematic review of multiple human studies, both S. officinalis and S. lavandulaefolia improved cognitive function in healthy patients as well as those with Alzheimer’s / dementia, however higher methodological standardized human clinical trials are needed. From: Miroddi, M., Navarra, M., Quattropani, M. C., Calapai, F., Gangemi, S., & Calapai, G. (2014). Systematic Review of Clinical Trials Assessing Pharmacological Properties of S alvia Species on Memory, Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s Disease. CNS neuroscience & therapeutics, 20(6), 485-495.
- In this randomized, placebo controlled, double blind, cross over study with 20 older adults, a 333 mg extract of sage improved memory and attention. From: Scholey, A. B., Tildesley, N. T., Ballard, C. G., Wesnes, K. A., Tasker, A., Perry, E. K., & Kennedy, D. O. (2008). An extract of Salvia (sage) with anticholinesterase properties improves memory and attention in healthy older volunteers. Psychopharmacology, 198(1), 127-139.
- In a study of 45 healthy young adults, Salvia officinalis and Saliva lavandulaefolia aroma improved memory performance compared to the control group. From: Moss, M., Rouse, M., & Moss, L. (2014). Aromas of salvia species enhance everyday prospective memory performance in healthy young adults. Advances in Chemical Engineering and Science, 4, 339-346.
- In this double blind, randomized, placebo controlled study of 44 adults, a combination of sage, rosemary, and melissa ethenal extracts taken internally improved verbal memory, especially in the older age group. From: Perry, N. S. L., Menzies, R., Hodgson, F., Wedgewood, P., Howes, M. J., Brooker, H. J., … & Perry, E. K. (2017). A randomised double-blind placebo-controlled pilot trial of a combined extract of sage, rosemary and melissa, traditional herbal medicines, on the enhancement of memory in normal healthy subjects, including influence of age. Phytomedicine.
By: Kathy Sadowski, Master of Science Degree in Aromatherapy, Registered Aromatherapist, LMT, RYT
4/10/18
