7 Benefits of Peppermint Essential Oil
This article on the 7 benefits of peppermint essential oil was originally written by my wife, Angel Jockers – check out Angel’s facebook page, instagram, YouTube or website where she shares all kinds of family and health information.
What comes to your mind when you hear the word, peppermint? For me, up until this past year, my first thoughts would have been candy cane and chewing gum. I had no idea that peppermint was derived from a leaf in nature, and this was because I never took the time to question its origins.
I didn’t learn to question my food or my beauty or medicinal products. I always trusted the ‘system’ I was raised in… Now I am learning to think for myself and to ask the right questions. So back to the peppermint question… What word first comes to your mind when you hear that word?
When referring to essential oils, there are seven top words that come to my mind when I hear the word peppermint. Here they are in random order:
Improves Your Focus
Remember when we were in grade school and had those timed “Mad Math Minutes?” Well, the little girl I nannied for had similar tests in an extracurricular First Grade advanced math class.
When she had a huge “Math Olympics” coming up that she was participating in, she practiced her ‘drills’ at home everyday. Her timed goal was to complete the practice tests in under five minutes, but she was completing hers in about nine minutes.
I experimented with her. I gave her one or two drops of peppermint oil and showed her how to rub them in her hands, smell them, and rub them on the back of her neck and under her nose. Immediately following, her timed results dropped down to around six minutes, consistently. On the day of her test, I gave her her own mini bottle of peppermint essential oil to take with her.
She amazingly completed her test in about three-and-a-half minutes! Her friends kept asking her why she kept on smelling her hands during the test. And she told them how her peppermint oil helped her to focus! She even ended up winning second runner up in the competition!
I was so proud of her and so glad she’d discovered the great benefits of peppermint essential oil at such a young age!
Nausea-relief
From first-hand experience, I can testify to using peppermint essential oil both topically and internally to help relieve nausea.
I’ve rubbed some directly on my stomach, and I’ve placed a drop in my water or ginger tea. I’ve also diffused some in the air and inhaled it for a few seconds. My nausea has almost immediately gone away!
Peppermint is considered a carminative herb and carminatives have beneficial effects on the digestive system. Studies have shown the scientific medicinal properties for peppermint oil in helping improve the symptoms of nausea:
-Peppermint oil is recommended for its antiemetic and antispasmodic effects on the gastric lining and colon. One possible mechanism of action of peppermint oil in the gastrointestinal system is the inhibition of muscular contractions induced by serotonin and substance P. (1)
Revitalize Your Day
Peppermint essential oil has a very refreshing aroma! I sometimes have used mine as a bright and cheerful scent to wear, in lieu of toxic perfume.
I also regularly diffuse it around my house, and its aroma always lifts my mood and refreshes me mentally and physiologically.
(Here’s a freebee: insects in the Southeast tend to hate the smell of peppermint. So you can smell great while keeping those pests away! Be sure to dilute the oil in water, though, as it is potent.)
Boosts Your Energy
Feel the need for a boost prior to a good workout at the gym? A drop of two of pure therapeutic grade peppermint essential oil will go a long way!
In one study, all the vitals of twelve healthy males were taken before and after taking “one 500 ml bottle of mineral water, containing 0.05 ml peppermint essential oil for ten days.”
The results clearly indicated that exercise performance was greatly increased after the participants added even such a minuscule amount of peppermint essential oil to their purified water!
-The results of the experiment support the effectiveness of peppermint essential oil on the exercise performance, gas analysis, spirometry parameters, blood pressure, and respiratory rate in the young male students. Relaxation of bronchial smooth muscles, increase in the ventilation and brain oxygen concentration, and decrease in the blood lactate level are the most plausible explanations. (2)
Next time you head to the gym or off for a jog, try adding a drop of peppermint oil to your glass water bottle and see how great you will feel!
Headache-relief
If you are a sufferer of chronic headaches or migraines, I strongly urge you to cut back on the Bayer and Aspirin, which have harmful side effects, and start rubbing a drop of peppermint essential oil onto your temples!
I have tried this and have found it improves the symptoms of my headaches. In addition, peppermint helps relieve tension and helps bring a sense of calmness. Next time you are feeling tension or a headache coming on, apply some peppermint and you will be pleasantly surprised.
Essentially Delicious
Peppermint essential oil is safe to ingest! Just be sure to only use a small amount, as one drop goes a very long way when you are using a certified pure therapeutic grade! For your culinary pleasure:
Add a drop to your purified water.
Try this recipe for healthy Chocolate Chia Protein Bites and add a few drops of peppermint essential oil!
Or you can add a few drops to guilt-free Coconut Flour Cookie Dough Bites!
Make some homemade healthy SuperCharged Thin Mints!
The list is endless! Peppermint can be infused into so many foods and drinks. It’s really a matter of using your creativity. And please be sure to use the oil sparingly! Again, peppermint essential oil is very potent!
An Active Fever-Fighter
Have a child or a baby with a fever? One natural method you may consider trying is rubbing a drop or two of peppermint on his/her feet.
Peppermint oil’s properties can actually help to bring down the temperature of the body and calm it, as it can also reduce inflammation. In addition, pure peppermint oil serves as a natural antibacterial agent. (2) (3)
Next time you hear the word peppermint, I hope you will now think of peppermint essential oil and all of its many health benefits it offers!
Sources For this Article Include:
1. Stea S, Beraudi A, De Pasquale D. Essential Oils for Complementary Treatment of Surgical Patients: State of the Art. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine : eCAM. 2014;2014:726341.
2. Göbel H, Fresenius J, Heinze A, Dworschak M, Soyka D. [Effectiveness of Oleum menthae piperitae and paracetamol in therapy of headache of the tension type]. Nervenarzt. 1996 Aug;67(8):672-81. PMID: 8805113
3. LearningaboutEOs – Peppermint Essential Oil Profile – cautions, dilution guidelines, therapeutic properties, scientific research citations, usage suggestions, and more Link Here
I noticed information about Angel’s Oils last time I was on your site. I have search online and can’t find information about or ways to purchase Angel’s oils. Has this line on products been discontinued?
Yes, my wife is no longer a representative for DoTerra, but that is still a very good company with great essential oils.
Read this article on peppermint oil which was a good read https://www.mapleholistics.com/blog/pertinent-peppermint-information/
Thanks for sharing!
Highly informative and thank you for all this. I would stress the importance of mixing the essential oil with something else, some mixer type oil, before you put it on the skin, especially babies. This was only briefly mentioned above. I use Shea Butter either unscented or scented with lavender oil
Absolutely Samia! Thank you for stressing that information!