Peppermint (Mentha piperita)

Peppermint

Peppermint (Mentha x piperita L.) in the mint family (Lamiaceae) is a natural hybrid of M. aquatica and M. spicata first found in a field of spearmint in England in 1696; it is vegetatively propagated since it does not breed true from seed.1 Peppermint has escaped cultivation and can be found growing wild in moist areas throughout Europe and North America.2 It is a vigorous, creeping perennial, sometimes purple-tinged, with smooth, toothed leaves and lilac-pink, usually sterile flowers.3,4

History and Traditional Use

According to records from the Greek, Roman, and ancient Egyptian eras, mint leaves have been used in medicine for several thousand years.2 Pliny the Elder documented the use of mint by the ancient Greeks and Romans who crowned themselves with the leaves during feasts, and flavored sauces and wines with its essence.4 Peppermint has been used in Eastern and Western traditional medicine as an aromatic, antispasmodic, and antiseptic in treating indigestion, nausea, sore throat, colds, toothaches, cramps, and cancers.5

Modern Medicinal Use

Peppermint leaf is approved for internal use by the German Commission E for spastic complaints of the gastrointestinal tract as well as the gallbladder and bile ducts; peppermint oil is approved for internal use for spastic complaints of the gastrointestinal tract, gallbladder, and bile ducts, irritable colon, inflammation of the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract, and inflammation of the oral mucosa.6 The Commission E has approved external use of peppermint oil for myalgia (muscular pain) and neuralgia (sharp pain along a nerve). The characteristic antispasmodic action of the volatile oil is more pronounced in peppermint than in any other oil, which accounts for its ability to relieve pain.4 Because peppermint improves appetite and digestion and relieves intestinal gas, it is used in the treatment of disturbed digestion, flatulence, colic (severe abdominal pain), cholera, and diarrhea. Clinical studies have been done on the use of peppermint oil internally to treat irritable bowel syndrome, dyspepsia, and tension headaches.7

Modern Consumer Use

Peppermint is the most extensively used volatile oil, both commercially and medicinally.4 Today peppermint is still used in cosmetics such as soaps, shampoos, and shower gels. It is used for both cooling and warming in over-the-counter topical preparations, for musculoskeletal pain, in shaving creams, and to treat headaches when rubbed on the temples. The oil is used as a flavoring in chewing gum, toothpastes, mouthwashes, and cough and cold preparations.5 Peppermint is also one of the most popular herbs for use in teas, flavorings, and candies.7

References

1 Foster S, Tyler VE. Tyler’s Honest Herbal, 4th ed. New York: Haworth Herbal Press;1999.

2 Blumenthal M, Goldberg A, Brinckmann J, editors. Herbal Medicine: Expanded Commission E Monographs. Austin (TX): American Botanical Council; Newton (MA): Integrative Medicine Communications; 2000.

3 Bown D. The Herb Society of America New Encyclopedia of Herbs and Their Uses. London: Dorling Kindersley Limited; 2001

4 Grieve M. A Modern Herbal. Volume 1. New York: Dover Publications, Inc; 1971.

5 DerMarderosian A, Beutler JA. The Review of Natural Products, 3rd edition. St. Louis (MO): Facts and Comparisons; 2001.

6 Blumenthal M, Busse WR, Goldberg A, Gruenwald J, Hall T, Riggins CW, Rister RS, editors. Klein S, Rister RS, translators. The Complete German Commission E Monographs&emdash;Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Austin (TX): American Botanical Council; Boston: Integrative Medicine Communication; 1998.

7 Blumenthal M, Hall T, Goldberg A, Kunz T, Dinda K, Brinckmann J, et al, editors. The ABC Clinical Guide to Herbs. Austin (TX): American Botanical Council; 2003.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Patchouli (Pogostemon patchouli)

N.O. Labiatae family

Part Used—The herb, yielding a volatile oil by distillation.

Habitat—East and West Indies and Paraguay.

Description—This fragrant herb, with soft, opposite, egg-shaped leaves and square stems, grows from 2 to 3 feet in height, giving out the peculiar, characteristic odour of patchouli when rubbed. Its whitish flowers, tinged with purple, grow in both axillary and terminal spikes. The crop is cut two or three times a year, the leaves being dried and packed in bales and exported for distillation of the oil. The best oil is freshly distilled near the plantations. That obtained from leaves imported into Europe, often damaged and adulterated even up to 80 per cent, is inferior. It is used in coarser perfumes and in ‘White Rose’ and ‘Oriental’ toilet soaps. Although the odour is objectionable to some, it is widely-used both in Asia and India. Sachets are made of the coarsely-powdered leaves, and before its common use in Europe, genuine Indian shawls and Indian ink were distinguished by the odour, which has the unusual quality of improving with age.

Hence the older oil is preferred by perfumers and used to confer more lasting properties upon other scents.

Constituents—Oil of Patchouli is thick, the colour being brownish-yellow tinted green. It contains coerulein, the vivid blue compound found in matricaria, wormwood and other oils. It deposits a solid, or stearoptene, patchouli alcohol, leaving cadinene.

It is laevorotatory, with the specific gravity of 0.970 to 0.990 at 15 degrees C. (59 degrees F.).

Medicinal Action and Uses—Its use is said to cause sometimes loss of appetite and sleep and nervous attacks. The Chinese, Japanese and Arabs believe it to possess prophylactic properties.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Oregano (Origanum vulgare)

It’s Not Just for Pizza

Fast facts: soothes coughs, aids digestion

Rumor has it that oregano didn’t become a popular seasoning in the United States until after World War II, when soldiers who’d been stationed in the Mediterranean returned home with a penchant for pizza. Whether that’s true or not, this pungent herb has been around for centuries, and many of its early uses were medicinal rather than culinary. The ancient Greeks made poultices from the leaves and used them to treat sores and aching muscles. Traditional Chinese doctors have used oregano for centuries to relieve fever, vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice and itchy skin. In Europe, the herb is still used to improve digestion and soothe coughs.

Little contemporary research has been done on the medical uses of oregano. The work that has been done shows that this herb contains two essential components, thymol and carvacol, which are also found in another herb, thyme.

Thymol can be used to help loosen phlegm in the lungs, according to Norman R. Farnsworth, Ph.D., director of the Program for Collaborative Research in the Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

In Germany, where herbal medicine is popular, syrups containing thymol are frequently prescribed for even the most serious kinds of coughs. In the United States, you’re most likely to find thymol in cough remedies such as Vicks Menthol Cough Drops and in topical cough and cold products such as Vicks VapoRub.

The ingredients in oregano that soothe coughs also help unknot muscles in the digestive tract. So there’s some scientific basis for using this herb as a digestive aid, Dr. Farnsworth says. Oregano also has a reputation as a menstruation promoter. “Pregnant women may safely use this herb as a seasoning, but they should avoid taking large amounts,” Dr. Farnsworth warns.

For a warm, spicy tea that can settle the stomach or soothe a cough, use one to two teaspoons of dried herb per cup of boiling water. Let it steep for ten minutes.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Oats (Avena sativa)

Parts used and where grown: The common oat used in herbal supplements and foods is derived from wild species that have since been cultivated. For herbal supplements, the green or rapidly dried aerial parts of the plant are harvested just before reaching full flower. Many herbal texts refer to using the fruits (seeds) or green tops. Although some herb texts discuss oat straw, there is little medicinal action in this part of the plant. Oats are now grown worldwide.

In what conditions might oats be supportive?

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Historical or traditional use: In folk medicine as well as among current herbalists, oats are used to treat nervous exhaustion, insomnia, and weakness of the nerves. A tea made from oats was thought to be useful in rheumatic conditions and to treat water retention. A tincture of the green tops of oats was also used to help with withdrawal from tobacco addiction.1 Oats were often used in baths to treat insomnia and anxiety as well as a variety of skin conditions, including burns and eczema.

Active constituents: The fruits (seeds) contain alkaloids, such as gramine and avenine, as well as saponins, such as avenacosides A and B.2 The seeds are also rich in iron, manganese, and zinc. The straw is high in silica. Oat alkaloids are believed to account for oatsÕ relaxing effect. It should be noted that this action of oats continues to be debated in Europe; the Commission E Monographs do not endorse this herb as a sedative.3 However, an alcohol-based tincture of the fresh plant has proved useful in cases of nicotine withdrawal.

How much should I take? Oats can be eaten as a morning breakfast cereal. A tea can be made from a heaping U.S. tablespoonful (30 grams) of oats brewed with 250 ml (1 cup) of boiling water; after cooling and straining, the tea can be drunk several times a day or shortly before going to bed. As a tincture, oats are often taken at 3-5 ml three times per day. Encapsulated or tableted products can be used in the amount of 1-4 grams per day. A soothing bath to ease irritated skin can be made by running the bath water through a sock containing several tablespoons of oats.

Are there any side effects or interactions? Oats are not associated with any adverse effects, although those with gluten sensitivity (celiac disease) should use oats with caution.

References:

1. Weiss RF. Herbal Medicine. Gothenburg, Sweden: Ab Arcanum, 1988, 287&endash;8. 2. Mills SY. Out of the Earth: The Essential Book of Herbal Medicine. Middlesex, UK: Viking Arcana, 1991, 510&endash;12. 3. Wichtl M. Herbal Drugs and Phytopharmaceuticals. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 1994, 96&endash;8.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.