Health benefits of Mint

Whenever someone mentions mint, our brain immediately recalls its fresh cooling effect. Mint or pudina is a member of the Mentha genus of the Lamiaceae family containing numerous plant species, including spearmint and peppermint.

This aromatic plant is famous for both culinary and medicinal use. We can use mint as both dried and fresh leaves in many dishes, chutney, beverages, tea, salads, soups, sauces, and desserts. The essence of mint leaves (mint oil) is a popular ingredient in gums, candies, toothpaste, and beauty products. The menthol component of the Mentha group relieves stress and relaxes muscles.

Health benefits

Mint is one of the oldest culinary herbs that enhance the flavor and aroma of the dish and offers a range of potential health benefits, such as:

• Mints are rich in various minerals, including iron, potassium, and manganese, which are crucial for hemoglobin production and improve brain function.
• Mint is a good source of vitamin A and folate.

Vitamin A is critical for vision and our eye health.

Folate is crucial for neural development in children.

• Menthol compound in the mint helps relieve various digestive problems, such as upset stomach, indigestion, stomach pain, bloating, and symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Menthol offer relaxing effects on the stomach muscles, thus relieving IBS symptoms.
• Chewing fresh mint leaves or consuming mint tea may help cover up bad breath by decreasing the causative bacteria.
• Consuming mint is beneficial to our health, but applying its paste on the skin is also advantageous. Mint’s pack, gel, or essential oil application to the nipples and areolar area after breastfeeding soothes nipple and areolar cracks and decreases post-breastfeeding pain.
• Menthol improves nasal breathing. Thus inhalation of the aroma of mint or peppermint oil relieves the cold and flu symptoms.

These tasty and nutrient-rich leaves are versatile, from adding them to green chutney to refreshing mojitos; use them the way you want. Mint leaves add an extra dash of flavors and aroma to any dish with numerous medicinal health benefits.

Source: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/mint-benefits#TOC_TITLE_HDR_6