10 Health Benefits Of Mint Leaves
10 Mint Nutritional Benefits and Facts (Updated)
Would like to learn about the health benefits of mint leaves?
I think you would since you’ve landed on this page.
As you have probably already guessed, mint nutritional benefits are impressive. Did you know mint has one of the highest levels of antioxidants packed into its little green leafs? Antioxidants may play a role in preventing all kinds of health issues such as cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s.
If you’re anything like me, you probably love mint, whether it’s in cooking or juice. Yes, you CAN use mint in fresh juice. It tastes delightful when mixed with certain fruits. I’ll explain how to use mint with juicing below. Check out the benefits of pineapple juice for a hint!
Mint is a perennial herb that grows very fast. During mint’s growing period, small purple flowers can be seen blooming all over it. There are a variety of different types of mint, and they grow to a height of 10 to 120cm.
While mint can be found in all sorts of environments, it grows best in moist environments and soils. If left to grow, it will spread over large areas, conquering new lands like Genghis Khan. Since mint spreads so fast, many consider it to be invasive.
Mint has been a mainstay of cooking for a long time. Like all herbs, mint is better if it’s fresh rather than dried. If you’re going to be juicing with mint, it will have to be fresh for you to get any juice out of it.
Humans have known about the health benefits of mint leaves for a long time. In the past, mint has been used to treat a variety of illnesses. It is especially effective in treating stomach and chest pains. During the Middle Ages, people used mint to whiten their teeth!
Anyway, the point of all this is that mint is used everywhere. Mint is in food, perfume, cosmetics, toothpaste, menthol, insecticide, aromatherapy. In a deceptive piece of product design, mint is even used in cigarettes as it eliminates the foul taste and soothes the throat.
People have been going gangbusters over the health benefits of mint leaves for a long time. Why?
We’ll have to take a closer look a mint nutritional benefits, won’t we? Below, I list 10 of those benefits.
10 Health Benefits Of Mint Leaves (Updated with more Good Tips)
- Boost Digestion. Like I said, one of the main mint health benefits is that it aids digestion and helps to remove stomach pains. Mint is a great appetizer, and due to its soft aroma, it soothes the stomach. The aroma triggers the mouth to produce more saliva and more digestive enzymes. As you can imagine, this aids digestion tremendously.
- Strengthen Your Liver. When your liver is chugging along slowly, you’re going to be feeling pretty dismal. A poorly functioning liver is an energy sap. Thankfully, one of the great mint nutritional benefits is that it is a powerful liver booster. The health benefits of beetroot are also fantastic for the liver.
- Cool Your Body. You know that song – “Rock Your Body”? Well, if you listen carefully to mint leaves, you’ll hear them singing “Cool Your Body”… In all seriousness, mint is a cooling herb. Consuming mint causes your body to slightly lower its temperature. This is one reason that Mint goes great in fruity, summery drinks (like the juicer recipes I describe below!). It is also perfect for tea when you have a sore throat!
- Relieve Asthma. Many people have found that consuming mint produces real relief for asthma symptoms. Scientists believe that regular use of mint is super beneficial for asthma patients. It is a great relaxant and relieves congestion (unblocks your nose, remember?). Not too mention the high antioxidant levels and its anti-inflammatory properties. However, don’t go too crazy as too much mint may cause irritation.
- Take Care Of Your Teeth. Why do you think toothpaste is minty? It’s because one of the health benefits of mint leaves is that they are good for dental hygiene. First, mint freshens up your breath. A great trait, especially if you have just eaten a big plate of garlic. Mint also packs a load of germ defense. Mint inhibits the growth of bacteria in the mouth and cleans the teeth and tongue.
- Stop Farting. I know it’s an embarrassing subject, but hey, we all do it from time to time. One of the refreshing mint nutritional benefits is that it will help us stop farting. Since it eases digestion, by encouraging the stomach to produce more bile, the body makes less gas. The benefits of lemon juice are also something that helps with this issue. There is also a theory that it helps lower cholesterol levels.
- Eliminate Mucus. Mint is an Expectorant. Mint encourages the body to eliminate mucus from the airways, lungs, bronchi and trachea. It promotes the drainage of mucus from the lungs.
- Defeat Cancer. Like all nutritious plant food, mint is believed to have strong cancer-fighting powers. This health benefit of mint leaves is probably due to the variety of enzymes that mint contains. Pretty impressive, huh!
- Kick Acne’s Ass. Mint juice is great if you’re juicing for acne. Why? It cleans the skin like it’s a jewel. It’s beat infection, soothes the skin and it works like magic when it comes to removing pimples. It’s also powerful in reducing wrinkles. If you want to look younger for longer, rub mint juice into your skin once or twice a day.
- Tasty Treat. There is no denying that mint tastes great. While not specifically one of the health benefits of mint leaves, whether you use it in food, juice, toothpaste or something else, mint is pleasant to the taste buds.
- Preventing Irritated Nipples while Breast Feeding. Studies published in the International Breast Feeding Journal have shown that consuming water that contained peppermint helped prevent cracking nipples. In fact, the study reported, “Women who were randomized to receive peppermint water were less likely to experience nipple and areola cracks compared to women using EBM.”
- A cure for IBS? As we talked about above the little leaf is great for digestion, but recent studies have shown that mint can be effective for helping to treat Irritable Bowl Syndrome. The research was very promising and did better than many of the modern drugs that patients were taking at the time.
Mint Side Effects And Cautions
For the most part, the health benefits of mint leaves make it like the friend you never had. Mint is loyal, caring and powerful. Just like the killer turmeric benefits.
However, if you are allergic to other herbs such as oregano or basil, you’re probably allergic to mint. Unfortunately, this means that mint can’t be your friend.
Also, while mint is a reliable reliever of heartburn, in some cases, it may cause heartburn symptoms to get worse.
If you experience any adverse symptoms or mint side effects after taking it, cease consumption and talk to your doctor immediately.
Juicing With Mint
Like I mentioned above, juicing with mint is perfect for acne. It’s also great if you’re juicing for health.
One of my favorite mint juicing recipes is the Pineapple Pickup. It’s fruity and perfect for a hot summer’s day. Another idea to get the health benefits of mint leaves is to mix carrot and grapefruit.
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