Peppermint oil Benefits

The Latin name of Peppermint is Mentha piperta. Mint, peppermint, and spearmint are the herbs of Mentha genus. Peppermint has better antioxidant than other species of the same genus. [1]

Peppermint naturally grows in North America and European countries. The leaves and essential oil collected from Peppermint has medicinal values and traditionally used to treat the common cold, headache, neuralgia, etc. In different culture, Peppermint is used in combination with herbal ingredients as a home remedy to treat several disease condition. For example, a combination of  Peppermint oil along with caraway oil usually used for better digestion and reduce the indigestion related issues.  [2] The peppermint oil extracted from Peppermint leaves are vicious, yellow-colored has a unique odor.

Worldwide, peppermint is introduced quite late. It is estimated that during the period of the 1700s, people started to recognize peppermint. However, Greek, Egyptian, and Roman ancestors added peppermint in their dishes and also used it as medicine. [2]

The commercial utilization of Peppermint is wide. It is used as a flavoring agent in the food industry. Soaps and cosmetic manufacturers use Peppermint oil to add fresh fragrance in their products. The Ayurvedic product manufacturers have also formulated different Peppermint formulations to alleviate pain symptoms, gastric trouble, cold and cough relief, skin irritation, etc. [2,3]

What are the phytochemicals present in Peppermint?

The essential oil of Peppermint primarily contains menthol, which has anti-spasmolytic effects. Other identified phytochemicals present in Peppermint oil include limonene, cineole, menthone, menthofuran, isomenthone, menthyl acetate, isopulegol, menthol, pulegone, and carvone. [3]

What is the mode of action of Peppermint oil benefits?

• Peppermint has rubefacient property and animal research has proven it’s vaso-dilating property. Peppermint oil has significant bronchial smooth muscle relaxing property and can improve ventilation.
• Nasal air force increases by applying Peppermint oil and supplies more air from the lungs. This herb also reduces arterial PCO₂, carbon dioxide tension and tidal carbon dioxide concentration in the lung tissue. Thus improve breathing rate and pulmonary function.
• Peppermint significantly improves gastric emptying rate, which provides therapeutic benefit to gastric health.
• Peppermint has CNS stimulant property.
• The analgesic property of peppermint may achieve through stimulation of cold receptors present underlying the skin structure. It also dilates the blood vessels, as menthol acts as a topical vasodilator. Thus, this herb helps in the topical absorption of other medications, such as cortisone, indomethacin, morphine hydrochloride, mannitol, and propranolol.
• Menthol present in Peppermint oil can react with IgE antibody and thus inhibit cutaneous anaphylaxis. Researchers also claimed that Peppermint oil acts as an immunomodulator and suppress antigen-induced allergies.
• Peppermint oil has gastrointestinal smooth muscle relaxing property and acts as an antispasmodic agent. Peppermint oil and menthol reduces calcium influx to relieve muscle spasm in large intestine and jejunum part of the small intestine. Animal research finding reported that Peppermint oil and menthol act as calcium channel blocker and the effect is significant in atrial and papillary muscle, brain synaptosomes and retinal neurons of the study animals. [3]

What are the different forms of Peppermint?

There are different established herbal peppermint products are available in the market due to its menthol composition.

Dentifrices: The fresh fragrance of Peppermint uses in different dentifrices preparations like toothpaste.

Lozenges: Menthol containing Lozenges helps to mask the bad breath.

Cough drops: This helps to smoothen the throat and control frequent coughing

Pain balms: Peppermint and its phytochemicals readily absorbed after topical application and acts as an analgesic to reduce pain symptoms.

Cold balms:  Peppermint and its phytochemicals improve breathing during a cold attack. [3]

Peppermint oil Benefits

Following are different uses of Peppermint:

Cardiac benefit 

The local application of Peppermint oil in the chest during cardiac problem may be helpful as the rubefacient and vaso-dilating properties of Peppermint oil helps to improve blood circulation in the cardiac muscle.  This herbal ingredient also reduces systolic blood pressure. Improvement of ventilation by application of peppermint oil helps to supply sufficient oxygen to fulfill the demand for cardiac muscle in emergency.

Respiratory support

The evidential report suggested that Peppermint improve lung function test by managing the reflex mechanism of respiration. An athletic activity test report showed that the application of peppermint could impart a faster breathing rate. It does not have nasal decongestant properties, but significant improvement found in nasal breathing. Peppermint strengthens inspiration muscle functioning.

Bad breath

Peppermint has a freshen-up flavor and used to added in dental product to subside bad breath and provide freshness in oral health. But studies have proven Peppermint oil does not create any unfavorable condition for bacterial growth in the oral cavity.

Gastrointestinal Benefit

Peppermint is a natural remedy for dyspepsia and also effective to reduce nausea due to its anti-emetic effect.

Mental health

The central nervous stimulating property of peppermint is effective to improve cognitive performance. It also boosts mental functioning to perceive workload and effectively handle the pain response by increasing the threshold.

Skin benefit

Some researchers had claimed that menthol, the bioactive ingredient of peppermint oil has an anti-allergic property and can reduce skin irritation and itching due to histamine release. A low dose of peppermint oil application on the skin gives a cooling sensation. But, higher dose causes warmth on skin and increases cutaneous blood flow and thus increases skin and underlying muscle temperature which effective to provide pain-relieving effect.

Peppermint oil acts as an immunomodulator and prevents skin allergies.

Cough relief

Menthol and other phytochemicals present in peppermint provide a cooling sensation in the pharynx, which smoothens the throat irritation. This helps to relieve cough.

Infection control

The phytochemical composition of Peppermint oil exerts antimicrobial property. It is effective against viral, bacterial and fungal infections. Menthol is effective against influenza and herpes virus. Peppermint oil has a bacteriostatic property. The mild antibacterial property is effective against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. This herbal ingredient can inhibit the growth of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus pyogenes, Mycobacterium avium and Serratia marcescens.

The anti-fungal property of this ingredient able to treat dermatological infection occurs due to Aspergillus Albus, Candida albicans, and dermatophytic fungi growth in the cutaneous tissue.

Antispasmodic

The muscle relaxant an analgesic property of Peppermint oil reduces muscular spasm and effective to reduce muscular pain and fatigue condition. Peppermint oil has muscle relaxing, anti-inflammatory properties with potent antioxidant activity. All these properties can raise the pain threshold when applied topically. An animal study has proven the antispasmodic property of Peppermint oil. The human trial result also reported Peppermint oil administration could reduce colon spasm and reduce peristaltic movement in the colon. Peppermint oil is also effective to reduce headache. [3]

Peppermint oil Side Effects

Some hypersensitive individuals have an allergic reaction after administration of Peppermint oil. Pulegone is a toxic chemical, which is present a small quantity in Peppermint oil. Oral ingestion of Peppermint oil capsule can cause bradycardia, heartburn, abdominal pain, muscle tremor hypersensitivity reaction, and contact dermatitis. In some patients, menthol inhalation can cause larygoconstriction and apnea. Peppermint intake can cause a lichenoid reaction, burning sensation in the mouth, repeated oral ulceration. The volatile oil present in Peppermint oil can cause anorexia, nausea, CNS problems, ataxia, and cardiac problems after excessive inhalation. Peppermint oil is contraindicated in patients with liver disease, gallbladder inflammation, or obstructive bile ducts condition. [3]

References

1. Soňa Škrovánková et al. Antioxidant Activity and Protecting Health Effects of Common Medicinal Plants. Advances in Food and Nutrition Research, Volume 67. October 2012. 
2. Peppermint Oil. National Center for Complementary and integrative Health. 
3. Aishwarya Balakrishnan. Therapeutic Uses of Peppermint –A Review. J. Pharm. Sci. & Res. Vol. 7(7), 2015, 474-476.