The mint is quite a popular herb that can provide you with several health benefits. This is a special herb that ha hundreds of usages and has been around for thousands of years, just because of its remarkable medicinal properties.
The market nowadays is filled with products such as toothpaste, breath fresheners, chewing gum and inhalers which use the mint as a base element. Most of the people are familiar with the benefits of the mint, but it actually has far more to offer than what you already know about it. This is why today we are going to provide you with the best health benefits that you can gt out of the mint. Keep reading and find out what they are.
1. It can aid your digestion – the mint is considered to be a great appetizer and a palate cleanser, and also – it promotes digestion. It can furthermore calm the stomach down in case of inflammation or indigestion. When you are feeling a bit sick to your stomach, a cup of mint tea, made with fresh mint will definitely do the trick for you. If you happen to be one of those people who are traveling a lot, especially via plane or boat, the menthol oil (which is derived from the mint) can be very soothing when you are having motion sickness or nausea. The aroma of this herb activates the salivary glands in the mouth and the glands that secrete digestive enzymes, thus facilitating the process of digestion. This is why the mint is extensively used in the culinary world. The mint is usually used as an appetizer, so that the food can be digested properly.
2. It can help you treat nausea and headache – the freshly crushed mint leaves can definitely help you with that. The strong and rather refreshing aroma of the mint is and effective and quick remedy for nausea. You can use the mint to alleviate your stomach issues. Actually, we have found out that many people keep a keep menthol oil or mint flavored products near them in order to alleviate nausea. The balms that contain a mint base, when rubbed onto the forehead or both temples, and the nose, give you an instant relief of the headache. This is a herb that has naturally soothing substances, so it means that it can alleviate high temperature and inflammation, and anything associated with migraines and headaches.
3. You can prevent any respiratory disorders – the powerful aroma of this particular herb can be very effective when clearing up a congested nose, bronchi, throat, and even lungs, and this leads to the mint giving an instant relief from respiratory disorders that often come from asthma or the common cold. As the mint succeeds in cooling and soothing down the throat, nose, and respiratory channels, it can immediately relieve your irritation and stop your chronic coughing. This is basically the main reason why most of the balms nowadays are mint based. Unlike the inhalers (which are based on aerosol), the ones with mint have a fundamental component, making them much more effective and eco friendly too.
4. Try treating asthma with it – the use of mint on a daily basis is proven to be very beneficial for those people who have an asthma condition – this is all because the mint is considered to be a good relaxant and it can relieve congestion. This being mentioned, using too much mint can do some irritation to the nose and the throat.
5. It can even aid your breastfeeding – for a lot of women, the breastfeeding is an amazing part of raising a child, but it can do some serious damage to your breasts and nipples. The studies have proven that the mint oil can help reduce the pain and cracks in the nipples that occur from the breastfeeding.
6. You can reduce fatigue and depression with it – the mint is considered to be a natural stimulant, and the smell of it is more than enough to help your brain work at an optimal level again and charge your batteries. So, if you are feeling depressed, sluggish, anxious, or just exhausted, the mint essential oil can do the trick for you. You can use it in several ways – you can apply it topically, ingest it, or inhale it as a vapor. The most popular way that will also get you the best results is putting a few drops of mint essential oil on your pillow right before you go to bed and let it work its magic while you are asleep.
7. Get rid of the pimples and enjoy the skin care you deserve – on one hand, the mint oil is a good antiseptic compound, but on the other, it’s an excellent skin cleanser. It can soothe the skin and help you get rid of infections and itchiness. Other than being a good way to reduce the pimples, it can even relieve some symptoms of acne. It contains antipruritic properties that can be used for treating insect bites such as those of honeybees, mosquitoes, wasps, hornets and gnats. The cooling sensation you will get will relieve you from the irritation and the constant urge to scratch, and the anti inflammatory properties will will bring your swelling down.
8. Promote the weight loss process – other than all the other benefits that the mint can provide you with, it will also help you lose some weight in an efficient way. The mint is considered to be a stimulant, meaning that it also stimulates the digestive enzymes the absorb the nutrients from the food and turns the consumed fat into usable energy. Therefore, with this being said, by adding some mint to your diet you will increase the amount of fat that is being consumed and put to use, rather than having it stored, which will contribute to your weight gain.
9. Provide you with excellent oral care – another well known benefit of the mint is improving the health of the oral cavity, mostly because it has the ability to provide you with a fresh breath in a very little time. But, what you probably did not know is that the mint can contribute to the oral health by inhibiting the harmful bacterial growth inside the mouth and cleanse your teeth as well as your tongue. This is why, in order to eliminate the dangerous forms of growth, people rub mint directly on the gums and teeth. For the exact same reason mint is one of the most common ingredients used in the toothpaste and mouthwashes, and several other dental hygiene products. But of course, the best way to get these results is by chewing on a mint leaf.
10. Finally, it is able to prevent cancer – some studies have shown that certain enzymes which can be found in the mint can prevent and even treat cancer.
The mint may just be the refreshing boost you need, and after reading this, there is no reason for you not to start using it on a daily basis. Try it and see what happens!