PEPPERMINT MENTHA PIPERITA

PEPPERMINT (Mentha x piperita L.) +++

Activities (Peppermint) :
Allergenic (1; FAD); Analgesic (1; APA; BGB; FEL; SHT); Anaphrodisiac (f; CEB); Anesthetic (1; APA; MAB; PED; SHT); Antibacterial (1; PH2; PIP); Antiemetic (1; PNC); Antiherpetic (1; FAD; PED); Antiinflammatory (1; FAD; PED); Antilactagogue (f; MAB); Antiitch (1; BGB; JAD; MAB); Antioxidant (1; JNU); Antipyretic (1; BGB; PHR; PIP); Antiseptic (1; BGB; PED; PH2; PNC); Antispasmodic (2; DEP; FEL; KOM; MAB; PH2; PNC; WAM); Antitussive (1; MAB; WAM); Antiulcer (1; FAD; PED); Antiviral (1; FAD; PH2; PNC; WAM); Aphrodisiac (f; MAD); Apoptotic (1; JNU); Astringent (1; PED); Bronchodilator (1; WAM); Calcium-Blocker (1; BGB; MAB); Cardiotonic (f; MAD); Carminative (2; KOM; MAB; PH2; PNC); Cholagogue (1; APA; PHR; PH2; SHT); Choleretic (2; APA; KOM; MAB; RIN); CNS- Sedative (1; MAB); Counterirritant (1; APA); Decongestant (1; APA; BGB); Detoxicant (1; JNU); Diaphoretic (f; CEB; MAB; PED); Digestive (1; APA; PED; WAM); Diuretic (1; CEB; MAB; PH2); Emmenagogue (f; MAD); Expectorant (1; PED); Insecticide (1; PH2); Myorelaxant (1; APA; MAB; SHT); Orexigenic (f; CEB); Secretolytic (1; APA; PHR; PH2; PIP); Sedative (1; MAB; PH2); Stimulant (1; PED); Stomachic (1; CEB; PED); Tonic (f; DEM; FEL); Tranquilizer (f; CEB); Vasodilator (1; PED); Vermifuge (f; DEM); Vulnerary (1; APA).

Indications (Peppermint) :
Anorexia (2; CEB; MAD; PHR); Arthrosis (1; APA); Asthma (1; MAB; MAD); Bacteria (1; PH2; PIP); Biliary Dysfunction (1; KOM; PIP); Bite (1; APA); Bronchosis (1; MAB; PHR; PH2); Bug Bite (1; APA); Burn (1; CEB; FNF); Cancer (f; JLH); Cancer, breast (1; JNU); Cancer, pancreas (1; JNU); Cancer, stomach (f; JLH); Catarrh (2; KOM; PH2; PIP); Cholecystosis (2; APA; KOM; PH2; PIP); Cholera (f; CEB; FEL); Cold (1; FAD; JNU; PHR; PH2; PNC); Cold Sore (1; APA); Colic (1; BGB; FEL; MAB; PNC); Colitis (2; BGB; KOM; PH2; SHT); Congestion (1; APA; BGB); Coryza (f; CEB); Cough (1; APA; PHR; PH2; WAM); Cramp (2; DEP; FEL; KOM; MAB; PH2; PIP; PNC; WAM); Croup (f; CEB); Dermatosis (1; BGB); Diarrhea (1; BGB); Diphtheria (f; DEP); Diverticulosis (f; PIP); Dysmenorrhea (f; PED; PHR); Dyspepsia (2; BGB; FAD; MAB; PH2); Dysuria (f; DEM); Earache (f; MAD); Enterosis (2; KOM; PHR; PIP); Epilepsy (f; MAD); Epistaxis (f; MAD); Fever (1; BGB; CEB; FAD; MAB; MAD; PED; PHR; PH2; PIP); Flu (1; MAB; PED); Freckle (f; MAD); Gallstone (f; MAD); Gas (1; BGB; MAD; MAB; WAM); Gastrosis (2; BGB; KOM; PH2; PIP); Gingivosis (f; SKY); Gout (1; CEB; FNF); Gravel (f; DEM); Headache (1; FAD; FEL; MAB; MAD; SHT); Heartburn (f; APA; JAD); Hemorrhoid (1; APA; DEM); Hepatosis (2; PHR; PH2); Herpes (1; APA; FAD; PED); Hiccup (f; MAD); Hypochondria (f; MAD); Hysteria (1; CEB; DEM; FEL; MAB; MAD); IBS (2; BGB; FAD; SHT; SKY); Impotence (f; MAD); Infection (2; JBU; PHR; PH2); Inflammation (1; FAD; PED); Insomnia (1; CEB; FAD; MAB; PH2); Itch (1; BGB; CEB; JAD; MAB); Jaundice (f; MAD); Languor (f; CEB); Mastosis (f; MAD); Measles (f; CEB); Menstrual Cramp (f; PED); Migraine (f; MAD); Morning Sickness (f; MAB; PHR); Motion Sickness (f; APA); Mucososis (1; BGB; PH2); Myalgia (2; BGB; KOM; PH2; PIP); Nausea (1; MAB; MAD; PHR; WAM); Nephrosis (f; BGB); Nervousness (1; CEB; MAB; PH2); Neuralgia (2; BGB; DEM; DEP; KOM; PH2; PIP); Neurosis (1; MAB); Pain (1; APA; BGB; CEB; DEM; FEL; MAB; PED; SHT); Pharyngosis (2; KOM; PH2); Phthisis (f; DEP); Pneumonia (f; CEB; DEM; FEL; MAB); Respirosis (2; KOM; PIP; PH2); Rheumatism (1; BGB; PED); Rhinosis (1; WAM); Ringworm (f; DEP); Satyrism (f; CEB); Sciatica (1; CEB; DEP; FNF); Sinusosis (1; APA; CEB; JNU); Sore Throat (1; BGB; MAD); Spermatorrhea (f; MAD); Splenosis (f; MAD); Stomachache (1; BGB; CEB; FAD; FEL); Stomatosis (2; BGB; KOM; PH2; PIP); Stone (f; MAD); Stress (f; APA); Syncope (f; MAD); Tendinitis (1; APA); Tonsilosis (f; MAD); Toothache (1; APA; DEP); Typhoid (f; CEB); Ulcer (1; FAD; PED); Urticaria (1; BGB); Uterosis (f; MAD); Vertigo (f; MAD); Virus (1; FAD; PH2; PNC; WAM); Vomiting (1; PNC); Water Retention (f; DEM); Worm (f; CEB; DEM).

Dosages (Peppermint) :
1 tbsp (1.5 g) leaf/cup water 3–4 ×/day (APA); 1–2 g leaf/cup 3 ×/day; 0.25–0.5 cup fresh leaf (PED); 6–12 g dry leaf (PED); 6–9 g dry leaf/day (MAB); 1–2 tsp dry leaf/cup water up to 3 ×/day (APA; SKY); 9 g dry leaf/45 ml alcohol/45 ml water (PED); 2 tsp (4.4 g) herb in hot tea (MAD); 2–4 g powdered herb (PNC); 1.5–4 ml fluid herb extract (1:2)/day (MAB); 1 dropper concentrated herb extract or tincture (APA); 1 wineglass gin/herb tincture 3–4 ×/day as diuretic (CEB); 5–15 g herb tincture/day (APA); 3.5–11 ml herb tincture (1:5)/day (MAB); 0.05–0.15 g herb oil (MAD); 0.15–0.6 ml (~ 3–12 drops) herb EO (MAB); 0.05–0.2 ml EO (PNC); 1–2 enteric -coated peppermint oil pills 3 ×/day; 6–12 drops peppermint oil (SHT); 10% peppermint oil in ethanol (transdermal) (SHT); 0.3–2 ml peppermint spirit (PNC); 0.25–1 ml concentrated peppermint water (PNC); 0.2 ml 3 ×/day for irritable colon (SHT); 1–2 capsules for IBS StX (0.2 ml EO) 2–3 ×/day (SKY).

Contraindications, Interactions, and Side Effects (Peppermint) :
Class 1 (AHP).“Health hazards not known with proper therapeutic dosages” (PH2). Not to be used in patients with achlorhydria, biliary or gallbladder obstruction, or gallstones. Concentrated oil may induce dermatosis, flushing and headache, if rubbed on profusely or inhaled. Leaf contains much astringent tannin that can damage the liver and intestine with prolonged use (PED). Commission E reports contraindications for EO: biliary obstruction or inflammation, and severe liver damage. Since the more widely used tea (Camellia sinensis) often contains twice as much tannin as peppermint, this recommendation should be doubly pertinent under tea, or maybe we should name these tannins the more glamorous “OPCs, polyphenols, and pycnogenols” and declare them antioxidant good guys instead of hepatotoxic bad guys (JAD). Rats receiving 100 mg/day peppermint oil develop dose-related brain lesions. Because of its ability to relax GI smooth muscles, peppermint oil may sometimes worsen symptoms of hiatal hernia. Coated pills opening too soon (in stomach) may cause gastralgia and heartburn. Excessive ingestion of the oil is associated with acute renal failure and interstitial nephrosis. Menthol reactions include reported cases of urticaria, allergic cheilitis, stomatosis, and rarely, shaking chills from use of topical menthol products. GI complaints due to use of peppermint preparations include stomatosis, severe esophagitis, gastrosis, unexplained diarrhea, and pancreatitis. Menthol in nasal preparations may cause spasm of the glottis in young children (AEH). Should not be inhaled by small children (AEH). Mentholcontaining ointments applied to an infant’s nostrils have produced immediate collapse. “Peppermint tea should not be given to infants or very young children because the pungent fragrance can cause gagging” (Castleman, 1996). Estimated LD for menthol in humans may be as low as 2 g. Survival after doses of 8 to 9 g have been reported. I fear APA erred in saying that it took 1 g/kg body weight menthol to be lethal in humans (APA). Estimated LD50 for peppermint oil in humans = 2000–9000 mg (2–9 g). Peppermint oil has an antispasmodic action on isolated segments of ileum (cats and rabbits) at 50 ppm (dilutions no greater than 1:20,000).

Extracts (Peppermint) :
Peppermint oil antagonizes the spasmogenic action of barium chloride, pilocarpine, and physostigmine. Antispasmodic action of peppermint oil is based on properties that are characteristic of calcium antagonists. Peppermint oil acts competitively with nifedepine and blocks Ca2+-exciting stimuli. It relaxes ileal longitudinal muscles, but less so than papaverine (SHT). Antiviral and carminative effects demonstrated in vivo and in vitro (PNC).