Herb
Peppermint
A cooling herb that relaxes the digestive tract and helps open stuffy sinuses.
🌿 What it looks like
⤢via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0
📊 How it ranks (our editor score) — 85/100Tap to see the breakdown
👶 Safe for children?
This remedy carries age-related cautions. Please read them before giving it to a child, and check with your pediatrician or pharmacist first.
- Keep essential oils away from young children's faces.
🌱 What it is
Peppermint is a leafy green herb with a cool, minty taste. You have probably tasted it in gum and toothpaste.
✨ Why it's good for you
- Helps relax the stomach after meals
- The cool steam can open up a stuffy nose
- Makes a tasty, calming tea
🥗 Nutrition
Per 2 tbsp fresh leaves (11g) · about 5 calories
- Vitamin A 47mcg
- Vitamin C 3.2mg
- Manganese 0.2mg
- Menthol (essential oil)
Source: USDA FoodData Central
🥄 How to use it
Drink as teaA warm drink made by steeping herbs in hot water. How to make a tea → after meals; inhale steam with a few drops of oil for congestion.
How much: As teaA warm drink made by steeping herbs in hot water. How to make a tea →, 1–3 cups a day, often after meals. If using enteric-coated peppermint-oil capsules for digestive cramping, follow the label (commonly one capsuleDried, powdered herb packed into a swallowable shell for a measured dose. How to make a capsule →, 1–3 times a day, taken before meals).
Show full details & how to prepare it
Peppermint owes its cooling lift to menthol, a natural compound that relaxes smooth muscle and creates that clean, open feeling in the nose and gut. In the digestive tract it gently eases the cramping and spasm behind a lot of indigestion and bloating, which is why a cup after dinner feels so settling.
Inhaled as steam, peppermint's vapors open a stuffy head and can ease the tight feeling of a tension headache; many people also like a properly diluted dab of the oil on the temples. The fresh herbA plant, or part of one, used for flavor, food, or gentle health support. More → and the teaA warm drink made by steeping herbs in hot water. How to make a tea → are wonderfully safe for most people.
Two cautions are worth remembering. Because menthol relaxes the valve at the top of the stomach, peppermint can worsen heartburn or reflux in some people — if that is you, choose a different soothing herbA plant, or part of one, used for flavor, food, or gentle health support. More →. And never put the concentrated essential oilA very concentrated plant oil — always diluted before it touches skin. How to make an essential oil → near a young child's face, as the strong vapors are not safe for them.
Ways to prepare it
⚠️ Cautions
- May worsen heartburn/reflux in some people.
- Keep essential oils away from young children's faces.
📚 What others say
- Studied for IBS and indigestion
- Long traditional use
Learn more
🕊️ A word of encouragement
Sometimes relief comes simply, like cool air after a stuffy room. Breathe slowly, unclench your shoulders, and let a little peace in — you are carried even on the tired days.
💬 Ask Remy about Peppermint
📚 Resource confidence
Based on mentions in health references
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