Pharmacy name: peppermint leaves - Menthae piperitae folium (formerly Folia Menthae piperitae), peppermint oil - Menthae piperitae aetheroleum (formerly Oleum Menthae piperitae).
Botanical description. Peppermint is a hybrid that was found in England in 1696 among the mint plantations of Mentha spicala L. and has since been cultivated. Therefore, peppermint used for medicinal purposes is not found in a wild state of peppermint: even the "wild" plants that emerged from the crops soon undergo a reverse splitting. Dilute peppermint with offsets. It grows especially well on swampy soil and limestone clay. Peppermint forms a creeping rhizome and numerous above-ground shoots, reaching a height of 30-80 cm. The tetrahedral stems are weakly branched at the top. Leaves are elongated and elliptical, up to 4-7 cm long (often smaller individual leaves), roughly toothed along the edge. Pink-red flowers are located in dense ear-shaped inflorescences, often divided into parts. The cultivated peppermint has several races, which differ from each other in shape and color of leaves. Wild relatives of peppermint are inferior to it in smell and taste. Nevertheless, they also play a significant role in folk medicine, and sometimes you can hear that they even surpass the qualities of real peppermint. Peppermint leaves (Mentha spicata L. var. crispa), also known as "spermint", contain essential oil that does not contain menthol, but a lot of carvon (contained in caraway). That's why their tea is an excellent carminative (windburst) remedy. Curly peppermint is rarely found in a wilderness state, therefore, the tea from its leaves is prepared from plants grown in the culture.
The active ingredients: essential oils, flavonoids, tannins and bitterness are the main active ingredients of this plant. The most important component in the essential oil is menthol (up to 60%).
Healing effect and application. Peppermint tea is an effective gastric remedy, especially for nausea, vomiting or vomiting. One single cup of moderately warm peppermint tea, drunk in small sips, can be achieved immediately. This tea also has a rapid effect on gastrointestinal diseases, which are accompanied by meteorism, spasms and stools with a bad smell. Dosage: 1 cup 3 times a day. Last but not least, peppermint tea promotes the outflow and secretion of bile. Patients with cholelithiasis tolerate this tea very well, while those with stomach ulcers suffer worse. The German Public Health Service notes that peppermint, which is popularly known as peppermint, is an indication of the use of stomach, intestine and gallbladder disease. o Peppermint tea: Pour 1 tablespoon with the top of the leaves, pour 1/4 litre of boiling water and keep it under the lid for 10 minutes. Then cool down. Drink it best unsweetened. Peppermint serves as a component of many tea fees, which are prescribed against diseases of the stomach, intestines, gall bladder and liver. However, it is also found in numerous other tea collections: peppermint leaves improve any tea with their taste and smell, as well as strengthen its effect, because drugs containing both essential oil and tannins and bitterness, have a multi-faceted effect. Especially a good combination for all gastrointestinal diseases - a mixture of peppermint with chamomile in equal parts. Essential oil diluted with alcohol gives the so-called mint drops, which can be bought in each pharmacy. They act like peppermint tea, if you take them on 15 drops of water. The use of folk medicine corresponds to the above. The big love to this medicinal plant is shown in that in the majority of house first-aid kits along with a camomile it is possible to find and a peppermint. It is used less and less often in case of headaches, heartbeats and sleep disorders, and in case of painful menstruation peppermint tea is highly valued.
Consumption as a seasoning. In the newest books on spicy plants it is recommended even to grow a few peppermint plants in the garden, especially since it is very simple, as its shoots take root and grow without requiring much care. A planting area of 1 sq.m. is enough for a family to have fresh peppermint all the time. Who prepares peppermint, should collect leaves before flowering, quickly dry them (at a temperature not exceeding 35 "C") and store them in well-closed vessels: humidity makes peppermint unfit for consumption. Salads, soups, vegetable dishes, which are sprinkled with freshly sliced peppermint before serving, are not only well seasoned, but also more healthy. Ivory and soft cheese are also improved by the addition of fresh peppermint. Dried peppermint is used less often, but some fish dishes, which are cooked (or cooked) with dried leaves