Spearmint Herbal Tea Health Benefits

Sipping spearmint herbal tea is one of my favorite ways to unwind and relax at the end of the day. It’s a flavorful way to increase hydration, and since it is naturally caffeine-free, it is a healthy drink anytime of day, both morning and night. 

Like most teas and tisanes, spearmint (Mentha spicata), has a myriad of beneficial health properties. Some benefits you probably already know about, but others may surprise you! To help you navigate the exciting benefits related to spearmint herbal tea, I’ve compiled this list of the top benefits. Read on to learn about how sipping spearmint herbal tea can improve your wellness.

First, a quick note to consider when choosing your spearmint tisane (and all teas and tisanes for that matter). During the harvesting process, leaves are picked, dried and then packaged. That’s it. There’s no wash stage, so any leaves that may have been sprayed with harmful chemicals like pesticides or herbicides, are now going to be steeped right into your cup. Therefore, it’s really important to choose the best quality organic spearmint you can find. Our Unwind organic spearmint tisane is flavorful, aromatic and is always grown without the use of toxic chemicals. Unwind spearmint is available in loose leaf and compostable tea sachets.

K, now onto all the ways that spearmint has been shown to keep us healthy:

 

STRESS RELIEF

One of its most infamous health benefits, and the namesake of our Unwind spearmint tisane, is the ability of spearmint to help relieve stress and anxiety, and promote relaxation. It is thought that this is due to it inhibiting the GABA receptions in the brain, creating a general anesthetic effect. These calming effects can be further enhanced with some natural aromatherapy: inhaling the warm spearmint vapors while sipping your cup of tea. Sitting down with a cozy cup of tea is also a great opportunity to take some time for yourself, and to practice mindfulness and self-care, all of which can further help decrease stress and anxiety levels and increase relaxation naturally. (1, 2)

AIDS DIGESTION

Spearmint is commonly used to help digestive issues. Spearmint has anti-spasmodic properties thanks to the compound (-) -carvone it contains. Spearmint has been studied for its positive effect on a variety of digestive issues including indigestion, nausea, bloating, abdominal pain and even flatulence. (3)

IMPROVES COGNITIVE HEALTH

Spearmint may positively affect cognitive performance, particularly around learning, focus, attention and memory. Limited studies reveal promising data that spearmint, thanks in part to its rosmarinic acid content, improves cognitive performance in all ages, but most notably in older adults. (4, 5)

BALANCES HORMONE LEVELS

Sipping spearmint tea has been shown to reduce testosterone in people with elevated androgen levels, like PCOS. High testosterone in women can cause a host of issues including hair loss, acne, period issues or hair in unwanted places - like your chin, as noted in Episode 67 of the FOODTRAINERS podcast. In this episode, hosts Lauren and Kayleen dive into women and testosterone, and ways to naturally achieve hormonal balance. In the podcast, our Unwind spearmint tisane is called their “secret weapon” for tackling hormonal imbalances. How cool is that?! (6)

MAY LOWER BLOOD SUGAR

Drinking spearmint tea over time may help decrease blood sugar in diabetic people, according to studies. While still preliminary, promising research performed in rats show that spearmint may have a similar effect on lowering blood sugar as taking medication to treat Type 2 diabetes. (7,8) 

FRESHENS BREATH

Bad breath or halitosis is an oral condition caused by volatile sulfur compounds produced by bacteria found in the mouth. Aside from Spearmint’s refreshing, minty flavor, it has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties that may kill the bacteria in your mouth - keeping bad breath at bay. (9)

 

 

 

 

References

1. Pharmacological Evaluation of Mentha spicata L. and Plantago major L., Medicinal Plants Used to Treat Anxiety and Insomnia in Colombian Caribbean Coast https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18593637/
2. Menthol shares general anesthetic activity and sites of action on the GABA(A) receptor with the intravenous agent, propofol https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18593637/
3. (-)-Carvone: antispasmodic effect and mode of action https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23103297/
4. Spearmint Extract Improves Working Memory in Men and Women with Age-Associated Memory Impairment https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29314866/
5. The attention-enhancing effects of spearmint extract supplementation in healthy men and women: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel trial https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30802720/
6. Spearmint herbal tea has significant anti-androgen effects in polycystic ovarian syndrome. A randomized controlled trial https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19585478/
7. Study of Hypoglycemic, Hypocholesterolemic and Antioxidant Activities of Iranian Mentha SpicataLeaves Aqueous Extract in Diabetic https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29844778/
8. Antidiabetic Effect of Spearmint in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29769013/
9. Chemical Composition and In Vitro Antibacterial Activity of Mentha spicata Essential Oil against Common Food-Borne Pathogenic Bacteria https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26351584/ 

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