Preparing Mint TeaDue to the bright refreshing aroma, mint has long been a leader among the spicy herbs. The leaves, stems and flowers of the plant are used by culinary specialists and perfumers, and on the basis of vegetable raw materials they make a variety of medical preparations and traditional medicine. But, pouring mint tea, helping themselves to fragrant gingerbread or using toothpaste with a characteristic cooling taste, only a few people think about the raw material of which type of mint was used. Indeed, under the short name “mint”, dozens of related plants can be hidden that have similar features and properties inherent only in one species.
What are the medicinal properties and contraindications of mint of different species, and whether everyone is allowed to use infusions made from herbal raw materials, tea and other products based on a spicy-flavoring plant?
Today it is cultivated and grown on garden beds in gardens and about twenty plants of mint as houseplants. And on different continents, people find and prefer their favorite varieties.
There is, for example, English, Australian, and even Japanese mint, not found anywhere else in the world, except on several islands in the Land of the Rising Sun. In Russia, species that grow here, both native and imported from Europe, have become most popular, for example, the most common mint is peppermint. What is the effect on the body of the mint of a particular type?
Peppermint: useful properties and contraindications
Peppermint in its wild form is extremely difficult to find, because this plant is a hybrid of European varieties obtained several centuries ago, noticed and widely spread first in Western Europe and then around the world. Today, peppermint plantations for food, perfume, and pharmaceutical industries exist in four dozen countries. Why did the plant become so famous, and from what does peppermint help?
The aroma of peppermint is due to a high concentration in the green of the essential oil, the main component of which is menthol with a cooling and even burning taste and aroma. Therefore, the plant is often called menthol mint, and the beneficial properties and contraindications related to it, for the most part, apply to closely related species. In addition to menthol-rich essential oil, the composition of the greens of peppermint includes tannins and vitamins, natural bitters and minerals, a mass of organic acids, esters and volatile production.
The secret of the plant’s popularity lies in the composition of its leaves, stems and flowers used to produce medicines, decoctions, tinctures and fragrances.
It is these substances that act on the body, and mint is recognized as an effective herbal remedy against pathogenic flora on the mucous membranes of the intestine and mouth, in the nasopharynx, and on the skin. Plant material is used in the elimination of digestive problems, treatment of the liver and gall bladder, nervous and respiratory systems. Preparations based on peppermint can relieve headache and toothache, have been tested for the treatment of migraines, cardiac and vascular diseases.
Mint tea is a recognized sedative as well as a good aid in the treatment of colds and inflammatory processes.
Many people wonder how mint affects pressure? Mint has the ability to reduce blood pressure, contributes to the speedy digestion of food and pain relief.
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These are the healing properties of peppermint, but are there any contraindications? Yes, such an active herbal remedy, especially preparations with a high content of peppermint essential oil, cannot be used by pregnant and lactating women, as well as children under three years old. The hypotensive effect of peppermint can cause poor health in people with low blood pressure. A calming effect sometimes affects the speed of reaction of drivers of cars.
Lemon mint: useful properties and contraindications
Lemon balm or lemon mint can bring no less benefit to the body, as these plants are called for an amazing aroma, having notes of citrus and menthol at the same time.
The beneficial properties of citric mint and contraindications for this plant are due to the composition of food and for the treatment of leaves, stem tops and inflorescences. The plant, like peppermint, is rich in essential oils, but their composition is somewhat different, which is reflected in the aroma of the herb and its qualities. Also, lemon balm herb contains vitamins, among which the main place is occupied by ascorbic acid; tannins, tannins and mineral elements, saponins and flavonoids, natural bitters and valuable organic acids are in the leaves and stems of the plant.
How does lemon mint help itself, and how does it affect the human body? Like peppermint, Melissa is able to effectively anesthetize and relieve emotional tension, neutralize unreasonable anxieties and activate the brain. Herbal remedies based on lemon mint leaves have antipyretic, diaphoretic, diuretic and anti-inflammatory effects.
Melissa will be useful in a number of gastrointestinal problems. Decoctions and infusions of this herb stimulate intestinal motility, forcing it to clear itself of gases and slags, effectively fight constipation, relieve spasms and improve appetite.
Lemon mint acts on the body in cardiac and vascular diseases, reducing the risk of atherosclerosis and stroke. The strengthening effect of Melissa is claimed by patients with anemia, neuralgia, the plant can help with migraine and spasmodic, for example, menstrual, pain.
Melissa is widely used in the treatment of skin infections of fungal origin, eczema and youthful acne, as well as diseases associated with disorders of the immune system. Since lemon balm oil is an excellent natural antiseptic. As lotions, lotions and compresses, remedies based on lemon mint are used for gout, herpes, and oral cavity diseases.
With a mass of useful properties similar to peppermint, contraindications for taking lemon balm are also close.
Do not abuse fresh and dried grass for people with hypertension, because, like mint, it affects pressure and lemon balm. Women in the first months of pregnancy and those prone to allergic reactions to components of plant materials should also be careful about the properties of the plant.
Long-leaved Mint: Medicinal Properties and Contraindications
Long-growing wild-plant mint long-leaved is also grown in gardens today. This large herbaceous crop has a pleasant smell, close to other types of mint, and in Russia it is found both in the middle lane and in the West of Siberia. The basis of the available contraindications and medicinal properties of long-leaf mint is the rich composition of essential oils found in its greenery. In addition to menthol, linalool and pulegon are present, as well as carvacrol, which, according to recent studies, has shown pronounced antimicrobial properties.
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Dwarf Mint is considered to be the leader in its family in pain and antiseptic ability. In this regard, the mint acts on the body:
- with headaches, stomach, toothaches;
- for painful painful menstruation;
- for viral diseases and colds;
- in inflammatory processes in the oral cavity and nasopharynx.
Effect on the body of mint curly
In contrast to the mint species described earlier, whose medicinal properties and contraindications depended on the presence of menthol in parts of plants, mint curled has a different set of active ingredients in the essential oil. It includes pulegon, cineole and carvone, linalool and limonene. It is for this essential oil that the plant is widely cultivated and used by pharmacists.
How does mint curly help? At this time, the concentration of essential oils reaches a maximum, and the resulting raw materials can be used as an effective painkiller and sedative.
The collection of menthol odorless leaves and shoot tips is carried out shortly before and during flowering.
Useful properties of mint field
Field mint is a wild-growing species well-known in Russia, the plants of which contain up to 2% of bitter, pungent-smelling essential oil. The main component responsible for the beneficial properties of field mint is menthol. Not the last role is played by other components, for example, vitamins, organic acids, terpenes and tannins.
The plant has healing properties and contraindications that are common with different types of mint. But more often it is used externally and inward as an anti-inflammatory natural remedy that can soothe and gently numb.
Catnip: the beneficial properties and use of
Catnip or catnip smell most reminiscent of lemon balm, since its essential oil does not contain such an aggressive component as menthol, but there is nephelactone as well as other aromatic substances to which geraniol, carvacrol andlimonene. There are in the green of catnip citral tannins and vitamins, phytoncides and terpenes. What is the effect on the cat's mint?
Broths and fresh herbs stimulate digestion, effectively soothes and helps fight weakness that accompanies anemia. Are the medicinal properties and contraindications of different types of mint different when compared with a catnip? The main properties of plant materials, as well as possible risks, are common, but the catnip is also used as a natural antiparasitic agent, acting against intestinal parasites, mites and garden pests.
Mint cat traditional medicine is recommended as a means of stimulating appetite, facilitating coughing, tonic and painkiller.
Useful properties of dog mint or Ivy-like buddy
Herb, akin to cultivated mint species and common in wild-growing throughout the country, gardeners and gardeners have been undeservedly missed. What are the medicinal properties and contraindications of dog mint? In the greens of unpretentious dog mint there are quite a lot of tannins and natural bitters, carotene, essential oils, amino acids, saponins, as well as ascorbic, coffee, tartaric and mustard acid.
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Grass will be useful for inflammatory and infectious diseases of the respiratory tract, liver and gall bladder. Broth of budry will help relieve stomach and kidney colic, return appetite.
Outwardly vegetable raw materials and decoctions from it are used for ulcers, inflammation of the skin, eczema and gout, edema. The herb has a healing, soothing effect. But there are not only medicinal properties, but also contraindications, because, like different types of mint, budr is saturated with biologically active substances that require a cautious approach.
The therapeutic effect of mint on the body is versatile and very powerful. Despite its inconspicuousness, budra is an excellent and anti-inflammatory agent.
Useful properties of room mint or plectrantus
Housewives just love to grow a popular houseplant.which is a relative of the cultivated mint species. This confirms the pleasant, pungent aroma of camphor and menthol, emanating from pounded green plectrantus growing in pots on window sills. So the essential oils that make up the aerial part of the plant make themselves felt. But what are the beneficial properties of room mint?
Essential oils of this indoor plant, as well as phytoncides, have a disinfecting effect, which positively affects the quality of the atmosphere in the room. In addition, the aroma of room mint is able to well deodorize the air, beneficially affect the well-being of nearby people, improve performance and tone up.
Insects, annoying the inhabitants of the house: mosquitoes, flies and moths, feel the negative influence of the plelectrantus on themselves.
Contraindications to the use of peppermint
When the medicinal properties of various types of peppermint are expressed, the contraindications to taking herbal preparations are rather extensive and serious. Since peppermint affects the pressure, reducing it, you should not abuse the herbal remedies for people with hypotension. Similarly, the soothing effect of the plant is accompanied by a decrease in the number of heart contractions, which means that patients with heart diseases should be carefully used with menthol and mint herb.
Menthol-containing types of mint act on the body, and on the gastric mucosa, are irritating and can cause aggravation of gastritis, peptic ulcer, and increase the level of acidity.
Contraindications for taking mint preparations are:
- severe stage of urinary and gallstone disease;
- age up to three years;
- asthenia;
- catarrhal diseases accompanied by a large amount of sputum;
- allergic reactions to peppermint and asthma components;
- pregnancy;
- pathology of the male reproductive system.
It is believed that mint has a depressant effect on testosterone production, and this may threaten the sexual function of men. However, this can happen only when excessive amounts of mint are consumed, and a cup of tea with this vegetable raw material will not in the least harm the health, but also help calm down, get rid of a headache and a mild cold.
The same can be said about the beneficial properties and contraindications of mint for pregnant women. When complying with the measures, the plant is completely harmless, but even if the mint is abused, a sudden labor activity can begin that threatens the development of the fetus.
Making Mint Tea - Video
