Common Names: Spearmint, mint, brown mint, garden mint, Our Lady's mint, sage of Bethlehem, menthol mint, silver mint, spiremint.
Part used: leaf
Active Compounds: Volatile oil, the flavonoid thymonin, caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid, carvone, and limonene.
Background: Both peppermint and spearmint figure prominently in US agricultural heritage. Spearmint, native to the Mediterranean region arrived to America during the Colonial period. So significant is the plant in the US that there is an established Mint Industry Research Council.
In Greek mythology the goddess Persephone, jealous of Pluto's love for the nymph Minthe, transformed Minthe into the spearmint plant. Pluto, unable to return the lovely nymph to her original form, ensured her that, at least, her fragrance would be enjoyed by all as a pleasant aroma, arising each time it was walked upon.
It is considered to be a bee herb. Mythological gods maintained special fields of mint just for bees to enjoy in their prolific honeymaking.
Mints served as a form of currency in antiquity. Tables were scrubbed with fresh leaves in preparation for feasts. The naturalist Pliny (1 AD) had his students wrap their heads with mint braids to bring delight to the soul, improve the mind, and enhance scholarship. Aristotle prohibited soldiers' use of mint before battles, believing it would diminish their aggressiveness. Greek athletes rubbed bruised mint leaves into their sore muscles. In the Middle Ages it said to have mystical powers and was used to dispel the evil eye.
In the Middle Ages it was commonly included in what were called strewing herbs, scattered about the floors of dwellings for imparting health benefits and the delicious fragrance, it also discouraged rodent infestations. Sprigs were kept with stored grains to repel rodents. It was used as a cleansing tonic and to help purify drinking water that had turned stale. Dog bites, wasps and bee stings were treated with a mixture of salt and mint applied directly to the wound.
Writing of spere mynte in 1568, herbalist John Gerard effused of its ability to, "rejoiceth the heart..." Steam vapor of infused mint has been used to freshen the air in hospitals. Mints were used to scent bath water, said to strengthen the nerves and sinews.
Mint, untaxed by the English government, became a popular tea substitute during the American Revolution. Spearmint then became a significant cash crop in Connecticut. Its popularity returned during the American Civil War when imported black tea was virtually unavailable.
Each year approximately 3 million pounds of spearmint are grown in the US, 70 % of the world's mint supply. In 13,000 sticks of chewing gum there is one pound of mint oil. About half of all spearmint oil is used to flavor gum, 45 % is used in dentifrices. The remaining 10 % goes into confections, pharmaceuticals, liqueurs and other goods. The ideal location for growing mint was noted to be north of the 45th parallel. Washington and Oregon lead in US mint-production.
Applications: stimulant, carminative and antispasmodic, diuretic, febrifuge, and rubefacient.
As a febrifuge it is more effective than peppermint, and may be used freely in warm infusion. A strong decoction can be added to a hot bath, or applied to hemorrhoids. Used to benefit the symptom of scant secretion of urine when the desire to urinate is frequent; Treats inflammations of the eyes, nausea, diarrhea, headaches, cramps and colds. A gargle treats sore mouth and gums and sore throat.
The application of a strong decoction of spearmint will heal chapped skin and makes an excellent stimulating tea. Spearmint can be inhaled to relieve tension headache and to revive memory.
Safe and useful for children, spearmint provides relief in colic and congestion. The gentle menthol content is warming and relaxing to the esophagus. Mildly anesthetizing to mucous membranes of the stomach, spearmint eases motion sickness and will help restore appetite.
Ice cubes of mint tea to promote healing and soothe the pain canker sores.
Sugary juices can be diluted with herbal teas such as mint.
A treatment for hirsutism: Its anti-androgenic properties reduce the level of free testosterone in the blood, while leaving total testosterone and DHEA unaffected. Recent studies indicate that drinking two cups of spearmint tea a day for five days can reduce androgen levels in women with hirsutism (excessive, increased hair growth in women in locations where the occurrence of terminal hair normally is minimal or absent). This proves to be a good natural alternative for those with mild symptoms. The dosage is 1 c. morning and evening during each of the 5 days of the follicular period of each menstrual cycle.
Description: Spearmint is a creeping-rooted, herbaceous plant with erect, branching, quadrangular, smooth stems, growing to 2 ft. high. Leaves are subsessile, ovate-lanceolate, unequally serrated, and smooth; Leaves beneath flowers are bract-like, longer than the whorls; these leaves and calyces are hairy or smooth. Flowers are light-purplish of 4-lobed corolla and four rather long stamens, formed in cylindrical. spikes and are loose. Whorls approximated, or the lowest or all of them distant; peduncles smooth, round, and shining. Calyx is bell-shaped and 5-toothed. Corolla funnel-shaped.odor aromatic; taste pungent.
Dosage: Infusion: 2 tsp dried leaf to 1c. water. Steep 10 min. Do not boil. Strain.
Decoction: 2 tbsp. dried leaf to 1c. water. Steep 10 min. Do not boil. Strain.
Decoction for bath: 3 tbsp. dried leaf to 1 c. water. Prepare as for decoction.
Safety: There is no known negative safety information available.
For educational purposes only This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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