5 Ways Peppermint Can Work for You

It might be in your shampoo, toothpaste, mouthwash, chapstick, candy, you name it, but peppermint is a lot closer to you than you may think. This sweet, spicy scent works well in grooming products for its clean, tingling essence. It also gives sweet treats a spicy, refreshing kick that sometimes makes one breathe in through pursed lips to get the full effect.

These 5 ways peppermint can work for you just may have you using it for a variety of fixes, improvements or as an overall mood enhancer.

Exercise Performance

If you find yourself moaning about going to the gym or lacing up for a run, try some sweet peppermint oil on your tongue or deeply inhaled to get moving.

According to a study by researchers at the Department of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, University of Mohaghegh, Iran published findings of the benefits of peppermint oil in the Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine (2014 Jan-Feb),

“Our results revealed significant improvement in all of the variables after oral administration of peppermint essential oil. Experimental group compared with control group showed an incremental and a significant increase in the grip force (36.1%), standing vertical jump (7.0%), and standing long jump (6.4%).”

The 3pm Slump

As your afternoon at work approaches, you may begin to feel sluggish. This is when a majority of people will rush to consume caffeine. However, it turns out that all you may need is a sniff of essential oil of peppermint.

Livestrong reports that,

“A study published in the 2008 “International Journal of Neuroscience” found that participants exposed to peppermint oil experienced enhanced memory and processing speeds.”

Dr. Bryan Raudenbush from Wheeling Jesuit University also experimented using peppermint oil on automobile travel, finding that,

“drivers exposed to peppermint scent were less frustrated, anxious and fatigued and stayed more alert after driving for prolonged periods.” (Livestrong)

According to Dr. Raudenbush, peppermint may increase blood to the brain enhancing oxygen saturation and stabilizing blood pressure which in turn may contribute to keener focus.

Stomach Savior

If you find yourself struggling with digestive challenges such as being bloated, gaseous, or suffering from diarrhea, peppermint may help. Used for centuries to soothe the stomach, Natural News reports that, “most research shows that taking peppermint oil by mouth reduces stomach pain, bloating, gas, and bowel movements in people with IBS.”

IBS, irritable bowel syndrome, continues to be studied under the influence of peppermint oil.

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center,

“a recent study conducted in Taiwan found that patients who took an enteric-coated peppermint oil formulation 3 to 4 times daily for 1 month had less abdominal distention, stool frequency, and flatulence than those who took a placebo. Nearly 80% of the patients who took peppermint also had alleviation of abdominal pain.”

Calm Your Skull

A headache can really throw a wrench into your day but using peppermint to battle your skull vice could be an easy, natural remedy.

German researchers studied the effects of locally applied peppermint oil preparations on tension-type headaches.

Published in ‘Der Nervenarzt’ (8/96) it was found that,

“The oil was spread largely across forehead and temples which was repeated after 15 and 30 minutes….Compared to the application of placebo, a 10% peppermint oil in ethanol solution significantly reduced the clinical headache intensity already after 15 minutes. This significant clinical reduction of the pain intensity continued over the one hour observation period.”

Lose Weight

There’s no magic bullet when it comes to losing weight but there are tools that can help and peppermint may be one. It turns out that by inhaling this spicy scent before eating may significantly curb appetite.

Livestrong reports that,

“A 2008 study conducted by the Wheeling Jesuit University evaluated the level of hunger of participants after inhaling peppermint oil every 2 hours for five days. Participants who inhaled the peppermint oil experienced less hunger and fewer cravings than those who didn’t use the oil.”

These 5 ways peppermint can work for you may be an easy, natural way to avoid unnecessary health challenges. Peppermint can be taken in capsule form; oil that is inhaled; topically applied; or sipped as a tea.