7 Fantastic Health Benefits of Peppermint Tea: Are You Drinking Enough?

Nikole Stewart |

Sep 10, 2024

Health Benefits of Peppermint Tea, Canva — Credit: Canva

Peppermint tea is more than just plain delicious. It has been proven to have some fairly amazing health and beauty benefits. From your mind to your stomach, get to know the health benefits of peppermint tea and how it can soothe you.

First things first: peppermint tea is actually a bit of a misnomer. There are no tea leaves in most peppermint infusions that you’ll buy in the store. As a result, it lacks caffeine and can aid in stress relief and relaxation.

It’s also fairly simple to make yourself. Mint is a very easy herb to grow — in fact, the hardest thing about growing mint will be keeping it from invading everything else. Peppermint thrives in cooler, shadier places, so you can grow peppermint in pots, either in the shade or in an indoor herb garden.

Once you harvest fresh peppermint, let it dry completely before storing or brewing a cup of tea. The many health benefits of peppermint tea come in potent essential oils left after harvesting your fresh peppermint.

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1. Use Peppermint Tea to Relieve Stress

Peppermint Leaves, Unsplash — Credit: Unsplash

When it comes to stress and anxiety, peppermint tea is one of your best allies. The menthol that is naturally present in the herb is a known muscle relaxant¹; this physical manifestation of relaxation can translate to stress and anxiety relief as well.

Try sipping a cup of peppermint tea and listening to your favorite song for a five-minute break during a hectic afternoon.

2. Can’t Sleep? Try Peppermint Tea

Drinking peppermint tea before bed has been proven to give you a more restful sleep which stems from the menthol content of the herb². Plus, it’s caffeine-free, so it will not disturb your sleep or keep you up.

Try having a cup of peppermint tea while you read a chapter of a book in bed, far from television and phone screens. Being away from technology allows you to rest and free up your imagination.

3. Try Peppermint Tea for Concentration

Tea Concentrating, Unsplash — Credit: Unsplash

Having a hard time concentrating? Peppermint may be a solution. A study found that the scent of peppermint was even more important than the actual consumption of the tea³. Peppermint diffused in a room full of test-takers boosted their alertness and concentration, as the smell of menthol stimulates the hippocampus, which is the brain’s memory center

To take advantage of this benefit, you can brew peppermint tea to sip slowly, or make a homemade peppermint humidifier.

4. Use Peppermint Tea to Fuel Healthy Eating

Peppermint Extract, Unsplash — Credit: Unsplash

Another one of the health benefits of peppermint tea is that it’s a proven appetite suppressant⁴. Plus, peppermint has a naturally sweet flavor that can curb additional sweet cravings. If you’re lightening your sugar intake, a cup of peppermint tea could make it easier to stick to your healthy eating goals.

5. Use Peppermint Tea for Sinus Relief

Warm liquids, from tea to hot water with honey, can help with congestion⁵, but peppermint tea boasts a specific benefit, and once again, we have menthol to thank. Menthol is a natural decongestant and provides relief from sinus pressure related to colds and allergies. A hot cup of peppermint tea can also soothe a sore throat during seasonal cold symptoms.

If you’re suffering from a stuffy nose and scratchy throat, combine peppermint tea, lemon, and honey for a soothing drink.

6. Clear Your Skin with a Peppermint Tea Bath

If you suffer from hormonal skin problems such as acne, peppermint tea is a natural remedy to try. Peppermint tea offers a slight boost in estrogen levels⁶ to some drinkers, which can help curb these hormonal problems and aid in clearing up acne.

If you really want to make sure that you’re reaping all the benefits, try adding peppermint tea to your bath water. It can help soothe burns and rashes as well as other skin inflammations.

7. Soothe Stomach Problems with Peppermint Tea

Peppermint Tea Stomach, Unsplash — Credit: Unsplash

One of the many interesting health benefits of peppermint tea is its great natural remedy for certain stomach ailments⁷, including bloating, gas, and constipation. Archeological evidence has shown that peppermint has been used as a medicine and supplement for over 10,000 years, and even today, peppermint oil is used by some medical professionals to soothe symptoms associated with intestinal issues such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

It’s also an antispasmodic, which can reduce nausea and vomiting even when you inhale the scent of peppermint. If you suffer from regular gas, constipation, or bloating, sipping a cup in the evening before bed can help soothe these problems, making it easier to digest and fall asleep.

5 Product Recommendations: Harness the Health Benefits of Peppermint Tea

Firepot Nomadic Teas: Firepot Nomadic Teas feature the best quality fair trade teas from all over the world. The company’s peppermint tea hails from the Pacific Northwest, known for producing the world’s most potent mint leaves.

Two Leaves and a Bud: This independent Colorado tea company was a pioneer of the pyramid-shaped tea sachet for North America, noting that this shape and size “allows the tea leaves room to infuse completely, providing fuller flavor.” The company is known for its organic and fair trade tea, including its organic peppermint tea.

Yogi Tea: Yogi Tea’s values and philosophy are based on the ancient Indian teachings of Ayurveda. The company sells several blends that include certified organic peppermint, including Lime Mint, which blends peppermint, spearmint, licorice, lime, turmeric, and warm baking spices, or Bedtime, which unites peppermint, fennel, chamomile, lavender, and valerian root.

Equal Exchange: Equal Exchange is a worker-owned cooperative specializing in fair trade teas from small farmer partners in India, Sri Lanka, and South Africa. The company’s organic mint tea contains 100 percent pure peppermint leaves.

Mountain Rose Herbs: Mountain Rose Herb’s sustainable, fair trade, organic, herbal teas include loose leaf blends like Dream Tea, combining peppermint with gotu kola and mugwort; Memory Zest, with peppermint, gingko, and red clover; or Vita Blend, with peppermint, hibiscus, red clover, and nettle.