Easy Peppermint Tea Recipe

Peppermint – Mentha piperita – Tastes minty, cooling, refreshing.  Drink this Easy Peppermint Tea Recipe to help with congestion, indigestion, and to improve cognition.  Avoid in excess, during pregnancy, and with young children.

By:  Kathy Sadowski, MS in Aromatherapy, Registered Aromatherapist, LMT, RYT

Easy Peppermint Tea Recipe Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp of fresh or 1 Tbsp of dried peppermint leaves
• 2 cups of hot water
• Honey to taste

Easy Peppermint Tea Recipe Instructions

Pour the hot water over the leaves.  Steep about 6 minutes.  Strain.  Add honey to taste.  Inhale the aroma while drinking to clear the head.

Easy Peppermint Tea Recipe Research

Congestion

• Camphor, eucalyptus and menthol stimulate cold receptors in the nose to improve airflow.  From:  Burrow, A., Eccles, R., & Jones, A. S. (1983). The effects of camphor, eucalyptus and menthol vapour on nasal resistance to airflow and nasal sensation. Acta oto-laryngologica, 96(1-2), 157-161.
• In participants with the common cold who inhaled a mixture of aromatic vapors of eucalyptus, menthol, camphor, breathing was improved.  From:  Cohen, B. M., & Dressier, W. E. (1982). Acute aromatics inhalation modifies the airways. Effects of the common cold. Respiration, 43(4), 285-293.
• Peppermint essential oil exhibited antispasmodic activity on the rat trachea.   From:  de Sousa, A. A. S., Soares, P. M. G., de Almeida, A. N. S., Maia, A. R., de Souza, E. P., & Assreuy, A. M. S. (2010). Antispasmodic effect of Mentha piperita essential oil on tracheal smooth muscle of rats. Journal of ethnopharmacology, 130(2), 433-436.
• A peppermint lozenge improved airflow in those suffering from the common cold.  From:  ECCLES, R., JAWAD, M. S., & MORRIS, S. (1990). The effects of oral administration of (—)‐menthol on nasal resistance to airflow and nasal sensation of airflow in subjects suffering from nasal congestion associated with the common cold. Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 42(9), 652-654.
• Inhalation of a blend of aloe, coconut, orange, peppermint and vitamin E. reduced inflammation associated with oxidant stress-related challenge to the nasal mucosa.  From:  Gao, M., Singh, A., Macri, K., Reynolds, C., Singhal, V., Biswal, S., & Spannhake, E. W. (2011). Antioxidant components of naturally-occurring oils exhibit marked anti-inflammatory activity in epithelial cells of the human upper respiratory system. Respiratory research, 12(1), 1.
• A constituent isolated from peppermint essential oil helped alleviate the nasal symptoms of allergic rhinitis.  From:  Inoue, T., Sugimoto, Y., Masuda, H., & Kamei, C. (2002). Antiallergic effect of flavonoid glycosides obtained from Mentha piperita L. Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin, 25(2), 256-259.
• Menthol inhalation affects the cool receptors and a person’s perception of improved breathing.  From:  Lindemann, J., Tsakiropoulou, E., Scheithauer, M. O., Konstantinidis, I., & Wiesmiller, K. M. (2008). Impact of menthol inhalation on nasal mucosal temperature and nasal patency. American journal of rhinology, 22(4), 402-405.
• This article summarized the use of Eucalyptus citriodora, Eucalyptus globulus, Mentha piperita, Origanum syriacum, Salvia fruticosa and Rosmarinus officinalis in treating respiratory ailments.  From:  Rakover, Y., Ben-Arye, E., & Goldstein, L. H. (2008). The treatment of respiratory ailments with essential oils of some aromatic medicinal plants. Harefuah, 147(10), 783-8.
• Stimulation by menthol of the major palatine nerve and its sensory nerve endings in the nasal mucosa increased  nasal opening.  From:  Naito, K., Komori, M., Kondo, Y., Takeuchi, M., & Iwata, S. (1997). The effect of L-menthol stimulation of the major palatine nerve on subjective and objective nasal patency. Auris Nasus Larynx, 24(2), 159-162.
• Cold receptor stimulation of the upper airway during nasal inhalation of menthol reduced the sensation of respiratory discomfort associated with difficult breathing.  From:  Nishino, T., Tagaito, Y., & Sakurai, Y. (1997). Nasal inhalation of l-menthol reduces respiratory discomfort associated with loaded breathing. American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine, 156(1), 309-313.
• Peppermint essential oil inhalation may be an effective complementary treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis.  From:  Shkurupiĭ, V. A., Kazarinova, N. V., Ogirenko, A. P., Nikonov, S. D., Tkachev, A. V., & Tkachenko, K. G. (2001). [Efficiency of the use of peppermint (Mentha piperita L) essential oil inhalations in the combined multi-drug therapy for pulmonary tuberculosis]. Problemy tuberkuleza, (4), 36-39.

Digestion

• In a study of 25 patients who were also using other medicines, a synergistic blend of Pimpinella anisum (anise), Foeniculum vulgare (sweet fennel), Anthemis nobilis (Roman chamomile) and Mentha piperita (peppermint) resulted in  nausea relief.  From:  Gilligan, N. P. (2005). The palliation of nausea in hospice and palliative care patients with essential oils of Pimpinella anisum (aniseed), Foeniculum vulgare var. dulce (sweet fennel), Anthemis nobilis (Roman chamomile) and Mentha x piperita (peppermint). International Journal of Aromatherapy, 15(4), 163-167.  Link:  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijat.2005.10.012
• Peppermint oil and menthol exert an antiemetic effect in vitro.  From:  Heimes, K., Hauk, F., & Verspohl, E. J. (2011). Mode of action of peppermint oil and (‐)‐menthol with respect to 5‐HT3 receptor subtypes: binding studies, cation uptake by receptor channels and contraction of isolated rat ileum. Phytotherapy Research, 25(5), 702-708.
• Peppermint essential oil inhalation may be useful in treating postoperative nausea.  From:  Lane, B., Cannella, K., Bowen, C., Copelan, D., Nteff, G., Barnes, K., … & Lawson, J. (2012). Examination of the effectiveness of peppermint aromatherapy on nausea in women post C-section. Journal of Holistic Nursing, 30(2), 90-104.
• Peppermint essential oil reduced postoperative nausea.  From:  Tate, S. (1997). Peppermint oil: a treatment for postoperative nausea. Journal of advanced nursing, 26(3), 543-549.
• Peppermint and spearmint reduced chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting.  From:  Tayarani-Najaran, Z., Talasaz-Firoozi, E., Nasiri, R., Jalali, N., & Hassanzadeh, M. K. (2013). Antiemetic activity of volatile oil from Mentha spicata and Mentha× piperita in chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. ecancermedicalscience, 7, 290.
• Seventeen randomized clinical trials for the herbal treatment of non-ulcer dyspepsia were reviews.  Nine studies involved peppermint and caraway and showed promising results.  More research is necessary.  From:  Thompson Coon, J., & Ernst, E. (2002). Herbal medicinal products for non‐ulcer dyspepsia. Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics, 16(10), 1689-1699.
• Helicobacter pylori causes gastritis and peptic ulcer disease.  Botanical extracts that were most effective against H. pylori included:  Carum carvi, Elettaria cardamomum, Gentiana lutea, Juniper communis, Lavandula angustifolia, Melissa officinalis, Mentha piperita, Pimpinella anisum, Matricaria recutita, and Ginkgo biloba.  From:  Mahady, G. B., Pendland, S. L., Stoia, A., Hamill, F. A., Fabricant, D., Dietz, B. M., & Chadwick, L. R. (2005). In vitro susceptibility of Helicobacter pylori to botanical extracts used traditionally for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders. Phytotherapy research, 19(11), 988-991.
• Enteric coated peppermint capsules reduced irritable bowel syndrome symptoms in humans.  From:  Merat, S., Khalili, S., Mostajabi, P., Ghorbani, A., Ansari, R., & Malekzadeh, R. (2010). The effect of enteric-coated, delayed-release peppermint oil on irritable bowel syndrome. Digestive diseases and sciences, 55(5), 1385-1390.
• Peppermint essential oil was effective in reducing abdominal pain in diarrhea predominant IBS transiently.  From:  Alam, M. S., Roy, P. K., Miah, A. R., Mollick, S. H., Khan, M. R., Mahmud, M. C., & Khatun, S. (2013). Efficacy of Peppermint oil in diarrhea predominant IBS-a double blind randomized placebo-controlled study. Mymensingh medical journal: MMJ, 22(1), 27-30.
• Peppermint capsules reduced symptoms of irritable bowels.  From:  Cappello, G., Spezzaferro, M., Grossi, L., Manzoli, L., & Marzio, L. (2007). Peppermint oil (Mintoil®) in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: a prospective double blind placebo-controlled randomized trial. Digestive and liver disease, 39(6), 530-536.
• Peppermint was studied to treat irritable bowel syndrome.  From:  Carling, L. A. S. S. E., Svedberg, L. E., & Hulten, S. (1989). Short-term treatment of the irritable bowel syndrome: a placebo-controlled trial of peppermint oil against hyoscyaminme. Opusc Med, 34, 55-57.
• Artemisia ludoviciana, Cuphea aequipetala, Ludwigia repens, Mentha piperita, Persea americana, Annona cherimola, Guaiacum coulteri, and Moussonia deppeana showed the highest inhibitory effect against helicobacter pylori, a bacteria that causes gastrointestinal disorders.  From:  Castillo-Juárez, I., González, V., Jaime-Aguilar, H., Martínez, G., Linares, E., Bye, R., & Romero, I. (2009). Anti-Helicobacter pylori activity of plants used in Mexican traditional medicine for gastrointestinal disorders. Journal of ethnopharmacology, 122(2), 402-405.
• In a review of multiple studies, peppermint was more effective than placebo in treating irritable bowel syndrome. From:  Ford, A. C., Talley, N. J., Spiegel, B. M., Foxx-Orenstein, A. E., Schiller, L., Quigley, E. M., & Moayyedi, P. (2008). Effect of fibre, antispasmodics, and peppermint oil in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: systematic review and meta-analysis. Bmj, 337, a2313.
• Ginger, peppermint, aniseed and fennel, citrus fruits, dandelion and artichoke, melissa and chamomile have digestive enhancing activities.  From:  Valussi, M. (2012). Functional foods with digestion-enhancing properties. International journal of food sciences and nutrition, 63(sup1), 82-89.
• Peppermint and caraway oil relaxed the gall-bladder and slowed small intestinal transit.  From:  Goerg, K. J., & Spilker, T. H. (2003). Effect of peppermint oil and caraway oil on gastrointestinal motility in healthy volunteers: a pharmacodynamic study using simultaneous determination of gastric and gall‐bladder emptying and orocaecal transit time. Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics, 17(3), 445-451.
• In nine studies, peppermint oil improved gastrointestinal health.  From:  Grigoleit, H. G., & Grigoleit, P. (2005). Gastrointestinal clinical pharmacology of peppermint oil. Phytomedicine, 12(8), 607-611.  From:  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.phymed.2004.10.006
• Peppermint oil enhanced gastric emptying. ​From: Inamori, M., Akiyama, T., Akimoto, K., Fujita, K., Takahashi, H., Yoneda, M., … & Nakajima, A. (2007). Early effects of peppermint oil on gastric emptying: a crossover study using a continuous real-time 13C breath test (BreathID system). Journal of gastroenterology, 42(7), 539-542.
• Patients treated orally with a peppermint / caraway oil showed good tolerability and reduced symptoms associated with functional dyspepsia.  From:  May, B., Köhler, S., & Schneider, B. (2000). Efficacy and tolerability of a fixed combination of peppermint oil and caraway oil in patients suffering from functional dyspepsia. Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics, 14(12), 1671-1677.
• In this mega analysis on herbal remedies for IBS, peppermint was identified as effective from multiple studies.  From:  Rahimi, R., & Abdollahi, M. (2012). Herbal medicines for the management of irritable bowel syndrome: a comprehensive review. World J Gastroenterol, 18(7), 589-600.
• Peppermint essential oil capsules reduced colonic spasms during a colonscopy.  From:  Shavakhi, A., Ardestani, S. K., Taki, M., Goli, M., & Keshteli, A. H. (2012). Premedication with peppermint oil capsules in colonoscopy: a double blind placebo-controlled randomized trial study. Acta gastro-enterologica Belgica, 75(3), 349-353.
• Peppermint increased bile flow in rats.  From:  Trabace, L., Avato, P., Mazzoccoli, M., & Siro‐Brigiani, G. (1994). Cholertic activity of Thapsia chem I, II, and III in rats: Comparison with terpenoid constituents and peppermint oil. Phytotherapy Research, 8(5), 305-307.
• An essential oil blend including rosemary, lemon, and peppermint rubbed on the abdomine reduced constipation in the elderly.  From:  Kim, M. A., Sakong, J. K., Kim, E. J., & Kim, E. H. (2005). Effect of aromatherapy massage for the relief of constipation in the elderly. Taehan Kanho Hakhoe Chi, 35(1), 56-64.
• Reasons for peppermint oils spasmolytic effect on the gastrointestinal tract are discussed. From:  Grigoleit, H. G., & Grigoleit, P. (2005). Pharmacology and preclinical pharmacokinetics of peppermint oil. Phytomedicine, 12(8), 612-616.

Cognition

• Peppermint and eucalyptus oil improved cognitive ability and was mentally relaxing.  Peppermint essential oil also reduced headache.  From:  Göbel, H., Schmidt, G., & Soyka, D. (1994). Effect of peppermint and eucalyptus oil preparations on neurophysiological and experimental algesimetric headache parameters. Cephalalgia, 14(3), 228-234.
• 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 essential oil 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.

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This categorized compilation of research articles does not necessarily imply that there are adequate results to demonstrate safe and/or effective human use. These statements are not meant to diagnose, treat, or cure any diseases. The information at this page has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Consult a Doctor before using herbs and essential oils if you have medical conditions, are taking medications, or have questions.