Surely, you’ve had peppermint tea at some point, perhaps after a heavy meal or when your stomach wasn’t cooperating. It’s no wonder—peppermint is a popular remedy for digestive issues. The refreshing, very fresh scent of peppermint alone makes us feel better.
Find out the key properties of this plant and why vaporizing peppermint can be a great alternative to drinking traditional tea!
Who fancied mint first? A short story about the aromatic plant
Peppermint, also known as mentha piperita, belongs to the mint family. This plant probably originated from a combination of water mint and spearmint, and its cultivation began in England in the 18th century.
However, some believe that peppermint comes from a completely different place, specifically… ancient Greece.
Supposedly, it all started when a conflict broke out between Hades, the Greek god of death, and his extremely jealous wife, Persephone.
Unfortunately, Hades’ heated affair with the alluring nymph Mintha was revealed. Persephone decided to quickly get rid of her rival who wanted to steal Hades’ affection.
According to some accounts, Hades himself turned his lover into a fragrant plant, which he named after her.
In this way, he wanted to protect her from Persephone’s wrath. In this case, the fact that Mintha fancied Hades turned out to be fatal…
Today, peppermint is extremely popular, and it’s known to almost everyone. Most of us have peppermint tea in the kitchen cupboard and reach for it when digestive issues arise.
However, it’s worth knowing that peppermint contains a true wealth of active ingredients, and its list of properties is really long.
Active ingredients in peppermint
Peppermint is rich in valuable active ingredients beneficial for health. It contains substances such as ascorbic acid (commonly known as vitamin C), carotene, rutin, betaine, oleanolic acid, and ursolic acid.
Peppermint owes its beautiful scent to the mint oil it contains. It primarily includes menthol, as well as limonene and carvone—appreciated terpenes that positively affect the body and well-being.
Properties of peppermint
Do you reach for peppermint first when you feel your digestive system is rebelling?
Very rightly so—but it’s not the only way you can use this exceptional plant.
Peppermint for digestive issues
Thanks to its high menthol content and other active ingredients, peppermint is an essential support for our digestive system.
Peppermint leaves increase the secretion of gastric juice, making digestion easier and faster—even after a very heavy, hard-to-digest meal.
The active ingredients in peppermint also help improve intestinal function, enhance liver and bile duct performance, and can have an antispasmodic effect on the digestive muscles, relieving nausea.
Remedy for headaches
Do you suffer from headaches, especially after a stressful day?
You might not know, but headaches are often caused by digestive problems—peppermint tea can thus provide double relief.
When a headache becomes unbearable, it’s worth reaching for peppermint.
Peppermint tea can also improve the functioning of the circulatory system and dilate blood vessels, which can also help alleviate troublesome headaches.
The calming effect of peppermint
Interestingly, peppermint can be excellent in various states of nervous tension. It has calming and relaxing effects, which can help improve sleep quality and reduce stress levels.
If you’re tired of using lemon balm to fall asleep more easily, you can see how peppermint affects you.
Relief for the respiratory tract
Not everyone knows that peppermint, particularly peppermint oil, can bring relief from nasal congestion or persistent cough.
Besides peppermint tea or aromatherapy using peppermint oil, it’s worth opting for peppermint vaporization—this way, the body receives the largest amount of active ingredients contained in the plant.
Peppermint vaporization – why is it worth it?
It’s worth having dried peppermint at home to conduct inhalation when needed or even brew peppermint tea.
To make even better use of the properties of this plant, you can choose to vaporize peppermint. This is a highly valued and modern method of consuming various herbs, and peppermint works excellently here.
Aromatherapy is a method of using herbs that has been employed for hundreds of years—and vaporization is its enhanced form.
Importantly, during such inhalation, the largest portion of active ingredients is delivered to the body—much larger than when drinking peppermint tea. So, you can expect much better effects.
The vapour, composed of active and aromatic substances, goes directly to the lungs and from there into the bloodstream.
The effects, therefore, do not take long to appear. Peppermint vaporization is the perfect option for those who want to fully enjoy the properties of this aromatic plant.
Significantly, peppermint vaporization is accompanied by a refreshing, fresh aroma, which in itself can improve well-being.
How to vaporize peppermint?
The recommended temperature for vaporizing peppermint is 120-150 degrees Celsius. The choice of vaporizer is also important. Pay attention to the temperature range.
A good vaporizer should allow precise temperature control and enable inhalation at lower temperatures.
In case of doubt, it’s worth asking which device is suitable for vaporizing peppermint and other herbs—and there are plenty of them!
In practice, we have vaporized peppermint at various temperatures, and in our opinion, it is possible up to 180 degrees Celsius—above this level, the taste ceases to be pleasant.
Lower temperatures also ensure a longer inhalation.
Summary
As you can see, peppermint has many valuable properties, and drinking a hot infusion is not the only way to use them.
Peppermint vaporization can be an excellent way not only to support the body but also for evening relaxation. It’s worth trying!
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