Peppermint and the science behind it

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism,
Courtesy Michigan State University Extension

By Dixie Sandborn, Michigan State University Extension

 

Peppermint, Mentha piperita, is a cross between water mint and spearmint. Peppermint is associated with many health benefits, especially peppermint tea. Everything seems to be better with peppermint during the holiday season, such as peppermint lattes, peppermint bark, mint-flavored M&Ms, candy canes and more.


Here are some fun facts about peppermint.

  • Peppermint has a long history. Ancient Egyptian medical text dating as early as 1550 BC includes peppermint.
  • Early history mentions peppermint in Greek mythology, by Roman philosophers, Jesus in the Bible and Monks in the middle ages.
  • Michigan is ninth in the U.S. for mint production. Michigan has a rich history cultivating mint.
  • Peppermint has naturalized and can be found growing wild in North America and Europe.
  • Peppermint plants grow between 18-36 inches tall and 24 inches wide.
  • Peppermint spreads by runners that spread above and just below the ground’s surface.
  • Peppermint often becomes invasive in the home garden.
  • Specialized cells produce peppermint oil in the leaves of the peppermint plant. The oil is released once the leaves are crushed or chopped.
  • The best time to harvest peppermint is on a sunny day when the plant is just beginning to flower.
  • Peppermint is the most extensively used volatile oil, both commercially and medicinally.
  • Ancient Greeks thought it could cure hiccups.
  • Peppermint is the number one flavor for non-chocolate, hard candies.
  • Dec. 19 is National Chocolate Mint Day.
  • Dec. 3 is National Peppermint Latte Day.
  • 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.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

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