Mint tea: benefits and harm. How to brew and drink correctly? Beneficial medicinal properties of peppermint and contraindications, mint tea

Tea is perhaps the most ancient drink known to almost all of humanity. It can be drunk almost all seasons. In ancient times, healers prescribed tea as a sedative that brought a person into a state of balance of strength and spirit. Avicenna, in his treatises on medicine, studied and described tea and its beneficial properties, prescribing it as a drink for increased nervousness, emotional discomfort, and simply to relax and calm the nervous system.

Centuries have passed since the time of Avicenna, but even today, full of energetic movement, stress and nervous overexcitement, tea remains a relevant, sought-after drink in almost every home. It is customary to greet guests with a cup of freshly brewed aromatic tea, it is also pleasant to chat with a friend over a cup of tea, discuss It’s also nice to catch up on the past day in the evening with your family over a cup of tea. But few people know that tea can not only bring taste comfort as a drink and relieve thirst, teas with special composition calm our excited nerves, help us feel calmer and more balanced. Tea made from mint leaves has proven itself to be particularly distinctive in its soothing properties.

Mint tea

Mint, this simple plant grows in almost every garden. It has small oblong leaves, bright green in color and stands out from other plants with a pleasant aroma. If you carefully study the components that make up this plant, you will find that mint is simply filled with vitamins and minerals beneficial to humans. This is vitamin C, a storehouse of youth and health, B vitamins, including magnesium, calcium, present in mint, and tannins betaine, ursulic, oleanolic acid.

10 Health Benefits of Mint

Treatment and prevention of colds

During the cold season, perhaps mint tea has proven itself to be the most reliable assistant. With the help of menthol, which is part of it, it will ease breathing during colds, relieve headaches, and soften the manifestation of the disease. To prepare tea, you should always use earthenware or glassware. One small spoon of dry leaves should be poured with a glass of hot boiling water, and additionally “wrap” the container with a towel or napkin. In 8-10 minutes the tea is ready!
For a healthy heart
For women's health

Many women love and drink mint tea and for good reason. During critical days, tea helps relieve spasmodic pain, while acting as a pain reliever. But men should be treated to such tea with caution, the fact is that mint has the ability to reduce the level of male hormones.
During pregnancy

We also received information from our grandmothers that mint tea helps cope with toxicosis in pregnant women. But you should not abuse this drink during an interesting situation. It is enough to drink 1 cup a day.
For those who want to lose weight

Going on a diet is always difficult, but a drink made from mint leaves can not only quench your thirst, replenish water balance body, but also dulls the feeling of hunger. The fact is that mint contains essential oils. They dull the desire to eat quickly and a lot. If there is a need to lose weight, then mint tea will provide effective assistance in this. It’s not for nothing that nutritionists include this drink in all kinds of weight loss diets.
To improve digestive function

Peppermint tea will also help with digestive problems, bloating, heartburn, and intestinal dysfunction. Peppermint tea has a choleretic effect and is taken for cholelithiasis.
Helper for toothache

Cooled to room temperature, tea will help combat the manifestations of stomatitis and relieve toothache. You just need to rinse your mouth with a freshly brewed drink.
Calming property

Nothing puts your nerves in order like warm, pleasant mint tea; it helps you calm down, relax and feel comfort and pleasure from the world around you.
For migraine
For healthy looking skin

Since the mint plant contains menthol (and this gives it a unique smell and taste), a drink made from it has antibacterial properties and is widely used for skin problems. Using the infusion will relieve itching and inflammation of the skin.

Contraindications to drinking mint tea

Young active men, mint tea is not recommended due to its ability to reduce the level of male hormones. " To the strong of the world This is enough, if desired, to drink no more than 1-2 cups a day of this drink.
For expectant mothers You should also limit the consumption of mint tea, especially if there is a tendency to low blood pressure and inflammatory processes in the kidneys and liver.
People suffering from varicose veins, this drink will not bring any benefits either.

Otherwise, you just need to pamper yourself with a fragrant healthy drink!

Recipes on how to properly prepare mint tea.

The mint plant itself is aromatic and tasty. It can be used both as a herbal infusion and added to green and black teas to taste.

Pour hot boiling water over one small spoon of green tea and a few dried mint leaves and let steep for about 10 minutes. For those who have a sweet tooth, you can add a little natural honey to taste.
Black tea is prepared similarly to green tea; for a richer aroma and taste, it is advisable to finely chop the mint leaves.
During hot days, chilled mint tea will help relieve thirst. It is recommended to put a few pieces of ice in it before use.

You can find a large number of recipes for hot and cold mint tea, everyone will choose what they like.

What else is useful?

Peppermint belongs to the Lamiaceae family. Mediterranean countries are considered their homeland. In our country, the plant is cultivated everywhere, since it is extremely rare in the wild. Peppermint is widely used as a seasoning for meat and fish dishes, salads, and it flavors various juices.

The benefits of the plant allow you to prepare healing teas from it. Tea with mint can have a positive effect on the body, healing and restoring it. However, it is also possible that tea may be harmful to some categories of people, which is due to the rich composition of the plant, which includes:

tannins;
microelements;
flavonoids;
carotene;
organic components.

Peppermint is also characterized high content it contains menthol, which makes it possible to use it in the field of medicine: rheumatoid conditions and respiratory pathologies are treated.

Green and black teas can be prepared with this plant, which can be sold loose or in bags. It is recommended to purchase the sheet version, as it fully exhibits its beneficial properties. At the same time, tea bags can contain a lot of garbage and processing waste. The resulting herbal drink has an aromatic aroma and fresh taste.

Beneficial properties of mint drink

To understand the benefits of mint tea, you need to pay attention to its properties:

Antispasmodic. Due to the menthol included in mint, it becomes possible to get rid of headaches, which is achieved by lowering blood pressure in the brain.
Calming. Green tea with mint is an excellent remedy for relieving nervous tension and getting rid of stress and depression. Calming properties manifest themselves in relaxation of the body, which is especially useful for people suffering from insomnia.
Tonic. Helps maintain the beauty and youth of the skin. To do this, you need to brew a few mint leaves, cool the drink and fill ice molds with it. Subsequently, a body massage is performed with ice cubes, which improves blood circulation, giving the skin elasticity and softness.
Antiseptic. Antiseptic properties are manifested due to phytoncides dissolving in tea, which disinfect mucous membranes and have an anti-inflammatory effect.
Antacid. Mint contains special substances that can reduce the secretory activity of the gastric mucosa. Due to these components, the drink becomes especially useful for people suffering from gastritis.

Benefits to the body

Peppermint tea and its properties can have a beneficial effect on the body when:

attacks of angina pectoris;
hypertension, normalizing blood pressure;
colds, lowering body temperature while alleviating the symptoms of a cold;
pathologies of the gallbladder, kidneys and liver, removing bile, stones and sand from the body. Peppermint tea acts as an excellent diuretic as it quickly removes excess fluid. Thus, the drink is especially useful for lovers of salty foods. Mint compensates for the damage caused to the body by salt consumed in excessive quantities;
pregnancy, helping to fight hormonal surges, suppressing nervousness and irritability.

Also, mint drink becomes especially useful in combination with other ingredients. For example, black tea with thyme and mint has a healing and diaphoretic effect, which is important for colds. And tea with mint or lemon has a general strengthening effect, helping to increase the body's immune strength.

Possible harm

Despite the beneficial properties, peppermint, as well as tea made from it, can cause certain harm to the human body:

Excessive consumption of tea can cause drowsiness, apathy, and in some cases, severe depression.
Also, excessive use of tea has a negative effect on sexual desire in men and women. The latter reduces the likelihood of pregnancy.
Peppermint helps reduce the tone of blood vessels, which impairs the outflow of venous blood. The result is the occurrence or exacerbation of varicose veins and hemorrhoids.
If you have hypotension, drinking mint tea can worsen the condition because it significantly reduces blood pressure.
In case of low acidity of gastric juice, peppermint provokes heartburn.

Effect on the children's body

Not counting possible harm tea, the drink has a calming effect on the adult body. However, due to the incompletely studied effects of mint tea on the children's body, it may be contraindicated in children under 3 years of age.

Due to the presence of the same menthol in mint tea, the following manifestations may be observed:

allergy;
itching on the skin;
rash.

Even after a child reaches 3 years of age, a mint tea drink should be prescribed only after medical consultation.

However, if a child has hyperactivity and increased agitation before bedtime, mint tea can have a beneficial effect on the child’s body, calming and relaxing it. To do this, you need to drink black tea with mint at night.

Contraindications for use

Peppermint tea, the benefits of which were discussed above, may have some contraindications for use. For example, it is not recommended to use the drink for nursing mothers, as it helps reduce the amount of breast milk. Green tea drink with mint is especially contraindicated for people suffering from low blood pressure. Contraindications include the presence of allergic reactions and individual intolerance to the plant. And tea with mint or lemon can cause even more harm to people with respiratory diseases. To identify specific contraindications to drinking tea, it makes sense to seek help from a specialist.

Let's look at the benefits of mint tea for both sexes. This fragrant soothing drink is endowed with a lot of medicinal properties.

Benefits of mint tea for the body

What are the benefits of mint tea?

Drinks with the addition of mint and other medicinal plants are now actively used as an additional remedy in the treatment of acute respiratory viral infections. Of course, the drink itself is not a drug, but it can significantly improve your well-being. It is also known that mint teas reduces acidity in the stomach. Food processing processes in the gastrointestinal tract are normalized. Relief of spasms and inhibition of infectious pathogens are observed. By consuming this natural aromatic remedy, we have a chance to improve metabolism. The functioning of the immune system is improved. We also note the positive effect of mint tea on the cardiovascular system.

Mint for women

Now you need to name the row positive points, important for the female sex. On difficult days of menstruation, women may be bothered by various ailments, for example, abdominal pain. In each case there is a different intensity of pain. The good news is that peppermint tea helps reduce this discomfort.

Everyone knows that women of different ages are often tormented by migraines and muscle pain in different parts bodies. The drink helps to improve the condition of headaches associated with high blood pressure or having a psychogenic nature. It also reliably relieves muscle pain.

Girls are characterized by mood swings, many suffer from depression for various reasons. This cannot be completely cured, since women’s vulnerability and the tenderness of their character play a decisive role here. Fortunately, mint is available to us; when drinking drinks from this plant, the functioning of the nervous system is normalized and tension is instantly relieved.

With regular consumption of mint tea in moderate quantities, women notice signs of a decrease in unwanted male hormones in the body. This can be determined by a decrease in the amount of hair on the body and a decrease in rigidity in behavior.

Experienced women in adulthood should know the benefits of mint tea and, if necessary, use the drink to improve their well-being. Women in menopause are often recommended to brew mint, as it helps to more easily cope with all the physiological changes in the hormonal system that inevitably occur at this time.

Mint for men

Mint tea is not contraindicated for healthy men. Properly selected herbal teas help the body to cleanse itself in a timely manner and resist the destructive activity of free radicals. Drinking a maximum of 1 cup of weakly brewed infusion per day will not cause any harm.

Men are not immune from so-called colds. A weakened body, in addition to medications, needs medicinal herbs. In this case, mint tea is perfect.

You can use a mint drink as a remedy for heartburn, a drug to reduce too much stomach acidity, or a safe choleretic agent.

To calm the male nervous system, you can add mint oil to aroma lamps, drip mint extract into bath water, or relax on a pillow with dried herbs inside.

Cool evening foot baths with the addition of a few drops of mint extract help men get rid of excessive sweating of the feet and relieve tired legs after hard physical labor.

Do not overuse mint-based products. A number of side effects may occur. For example, too concentrated mint drinks in large quantities cause deviations - decreased libido and negative changes in male potency.

Mint tea: When consumed in moderation, it is beneficial for the female and male body, however, the drink has contraindications

How to brew healthy mint tea?

Standard method

Ingredient:

dry mint.

To prepare a traditional mint drink, we need properly dried mint. Crushed leaves are taken in the amount of 1 large spoon. Add 200 milliliters of clean boiling water to the mint. To get real tea you need to infuse for 10 minutes. The finished infusion can be consumed with any preferred additives, chilled or hot.

Mint for colds

Ingredients:

dry mint;
lemon;
natural honey

To brew an effective anti-cold drink, you need a freshly prepared classic mint infusion, the recipe for which is described above. For a speedy recovery, add a slice of lemon and a small amount of honey to a hot drink. It is optimal to take the drink 4 times a day, a single dose is about half a glass. The infusion should be warm or moderately hot. Pre-cooled mint infusion is used to rinse the nasal passages and gargle the sore throat. At the same time, one should not forget about traditional treatment.

Peppermint tea for the stomach

Ingredients:

dry mint.

Small doses of concentrated mint drink promote rapid recovery of the body in the treatment of intoxication of the body or serious gastrointestinal diseases of an infectious nature. Dry mint is taken in the amount of 2 large spoons, the crushed leaves need to be poured with boiling water - 1 glass. In this case, it is necessary to leave the product for about 2 hours. Take the strained infusion three times a day, 1 large spoon, each time doing this during a meal.

Contraindications

We discussed the benefits of mint tea, but it is also worth... general outline describe contraindications. Despite the many healing qualities of peppermint tea, we need to exercise extreme caution.

An inflammatory process in the kidneys or liver is a contraindication.
Tea helps lower blood pressure, so it is contraindicated for people with hypotension.
If consumed in significant quantities, milk production may deteriorate in nursing mothers.
If a man is in large quantities If you drink herbal teas with the addition of mint, there is a risk of decreased libido and a dangerous decrease in the percentage of testosterone in the blood.
It is worth considering that even in a relatively healthy body, individual intolerance to the active substances contained in mint may occur.

Mint goes well with black and green tea, and is also compatible with many medicinal herbs. This aromatic plant is actively used as part of diets. Drinks with mint are characterized by the presence of impressive doses of essential oils, and therefore can suppress the feeling of hunger. In order not to suffer from a pronounced diuretic effect, in addition to drinks with mint, you need to drink enough clean water.

Story

From this article you will learn:

Several centuries ago, our ancestors did not know the taste of black tea, but replaced it with all kinds of tinctures and various drinks. Infusions based on medicinal herbs, as well as decoctions from them, were especially valued. If we talk about mint, it began to be used as a medicinal ingredient quite recently.

The ancient scientists Hippocrates and Avicenna managed to prove that tea has a positive effect on the condition of the human body.

Today, almost every housewife knows about this, especially when it comes to preventing colds and losing weight.

Tea with mint flavor is popular in all corners of our planet. This aromatic drink has conquered both the West and the East, which, however, is not surprising given the availability of its ingredients. To obtain a fragrant infusion, you can use black or, adding a large amount of mint to it.

Taste features

Mint tea has a bright and unique flavor. A lot depends on the base (it can be almost any black, green tea, to which a certain number of mint leaves are added). It should be noted that in most cases the taste “dances to the tune”, which is mint, and it is collected in different parts of the planet, in different times year, etc.

Obviously, all of these factors will ultimately affect the taste of the drink. But it is mint that has always been characterized by refreshing notes that complement absolutely any tea.

Useful properties

Experts recommend drinking mint tea for those who suffer from high stomach acidity during flu, runny nose or colds. The drink has a beneficial effect on the immune system, helps to activate metabolic processes, thereby increasing protective functions human body.

This is an effective remedy for eliminating spasms in the gastrointestinal system. Do you suffer from muscle pain or migraines? There is no better remedy than mint tea. An excellent tonic drink normalizes the functioning of the nervous system, calms and relaxes. Tea is also used to treat skin diseases, eliminating itching, rashes, and irritations.

Mint drink - effective way combating high blood pressure.

Recipes and brewing methods

To save useful properties It is strongly recommended to brew mint tea in glass or porcelain containers. It is highly undesirable to use metal vessels.

How to brew fresh mint tea:

3-4 mint leaves are poured with boiling water for 1-2 minutes. Then the water is drained.
Slightly cooled liquid (water temperature should not exceed 80 ° C) is poured over the leaves of the plant and allowed to brew for 10 minutes.
Mint brew can be diluted with tea and served.

Classic recipe for brewing black tea with mint:

Contraindications

Natural mint tea is a drink with a centuries-old history. Menthol and essential oils in the plant determine the taste and smell of the drink. Its unique properties were noted by ancient healers who used the medicinal herb to treat many diseases. Tea with mint is often found in traditional medicine recipes - it improves skin condition, reduces unpleasant symptoms during menopause, and helps lose weight.

Show all

The effect of mint on the female body

Peppermint tea reduces headaches associated with migraines accompanied by spasms, high blood pressure or mental disorders, and also relieves muscle tension.

Herbal decoction is beneficial, but in some cases it can cause some harm to the body. The result positive influence on the nervous system is a relaxing effect and normalization of sleep. The drink solves typical women's problems, including:

painful periods;
unpleasant symptoms of menopause;
inflammation in the pelvic organs;
excessive growth of body hair.

Peppermint tea cleanses the body, accelerates the removal of toxins and normalizes digestion.

A healthy and active lifestyle in addition to daily consumption of mint tea removes extra pounds. Taking the decoction before meals reduces appetite and promotes weight loss.

Mint tea is contraindicated in the following cases:

kidney or liver disease;
low blood pressure;
breast-feeding;
testosterone deficiency;
allergy to mint;
infertility treatment;
varicose veins;
presence of diabetes.

Children under 5 years old are prohibited from drinking mint drink.

Properties of peppermint

There are about two dozen varieties of mint herb that have medicinal properties.

“Mint” and “peppermint” are not synonyms, but varieties of the same plant. The second type is created artificially and is characterized by a high menthol content. Branched plant with tetrahedral stems purple reaches half a meter in height. The sharp leaves of the hybrid with denticles along the edges are covered with villi.

Peppermint contains menthol essential oils, tannins, macroelements, vitamins, and ascorbic acid. The aromatic plant restores the function of the digestive system, lowers blood pressure, calms and concentrates attention.

Peppermint is called a "female" herb. Biologically active substances in the plant reduce pain during menstruation. Menthol, present in the infusion, is a powerful tool for healing the female body.

Peppermint tea affects the body in the following ways:

has a positive effect on the nervous system, relieves insomnia;
has an analgesic and antispasmodic effect, reduces headaches;
normalizes the digestive system, improves metabolic processes, increases appetite and removes toxins;
effective in the treatment of colds;
improves the condition of hair and skin.

When taking peppermint-based products, menstrual pain is reduced and the manifestations of toxicosis during pregnancy are reduced.

How to make mint drink?

To brew tea, you must follow these steps:

1. For one serving, take from 7 to 10 fresh mint leaves.
2. Rinse the raw materials thoroughly with cold water.
3. Lightly rub the greens with your fingers or press on them with a spoon to enhance the aroma. It is important not to overdo it: the leaves, slightly wrinkled, should not lose their shape.
4. Place the prepared composition in a ceramic cup.
5. Boil water in a kettle or saucepan and set aside for two minutes. Herbal tea must be poured hot water, not boiling water.
6. Carefully pour the liquid into the cup with the mint.
7. After making sure that all the leaves are immersed in water, cover the cup.
8. Leave the tea to “rest” for 7 to 12 minutes. Within the specified time, it turns into a strong drink with an intense mint flavor.
9. Remove the leaves with a spoon or strain the tea through a strainer.
10. If desired, you can add honey and lemon.

The quality of mint is taken care of in advance. The seeds of the green plant are planted in the spring in a flower pot filled with garden soil. It grows quickly, so you can enjoy the refreshing aroma of a drink made from the leaves throughout the year.

Mint tea for pregnant women

A simple home remedy in the form of mint tea helps improve well-being and mood without harming the health of the expectant mother and fetus.

Peppermint affects the body of a pregnant woman as follows:

reduces morning sickness or flatulence;
relieves cramps that most women experience;
relieves temper and anxiety, eliminates insomnia;
improves the functioning of the digestive tract;
prevents bacterial or fungal infections.

toxicosis in the first half of pregnancy;
vegetative-vascular dystonia;
constipation, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal disorders;
heart pain (due to stress and tension);
increased emotional stress;
headache, fever;
inflammatory skin diseases.

Pregnant women should take the herbal infusion with caution, no more than two cups per day. Estrogens (female hormones) in the plant affect the course of pregnancy. Their increased activity threatens premature birth.

If an allergic reaction occurs or symptoms of toxicosis increase, you should stop drinking mint tea.

Drink for a nursing mother

The most common types of mint, peppermint and spearmint, have different effects on milk production.

Peppermint

Its use during breastfeeding is contraindicated for the following reasons:

1. Regular consumption of this tea reduces lactation. With frequent use of peppermint (more than twice a week), the body begins to produce mucus substances. The quantity and quality of milk decreases significantly, and after some time breastfeeding stops completely. The lack of vitamins and microelements in mother's milk affects the development of the newborn's immunity.
2. A plant with a high menthol content also affects the taste of milk. The baby may refuse the breast.
3. Essential oils, penetrating into the child’s body through milk, can cause digestive upset, allergies and dysbacteriosis.

But drinking tea once after stress or food poisoning, on the contrary, improves lactation. Menthol dilates large and small blood vessels, and improved blood circulation helps increase milk supply.

You can drink mint tea for a nursing mother if you reduce the content of essential oil. To do this, cut fresh mint leaves by dousing them with boiling water twice and then rinsing them with cold water.

Dry herbs are not suitable for brewing. You need to add the processed mint leaf to a cup of boiling water. A medicinal plant in this form has a positive effect on a woman’s health, weakened after childbirth, namely:

eliminates emotional instability;
increases mental and physical activity;
restores hormonal levels;
normalizes the functions of the gastrointestinal tract.

You should not drink aromatic tea more than once a week.

Mint without menthol

Curly mint exudes a delicate, subtle aroma. The plant has a beneficial effect on the body of mother and child. Carvone, which is part of it, stimulates milk flow. Drinking mint tea while breastfeeding helps:

increased appetite;
removing toxic compounds from the body;
prevention of bacterial, viral and fungal diseases;
eliminating swelling and inflammation;
getting rid of flatulence and diarrhea.

To make tea, add a glass of boiling water to a few fresh mint leaves. Keep covered for half an hour. Lactation increases if you drink 200 ml of the drink per day.

The product is introduced into the diet of nursing mothers gradually. After a few sips of tea and subsequent feeding, the baby's reaction is checked. Mint tea is completely excluded if a rash appears on his body or colic occurs.

Tea for hearts

Peppermint tea is beneficial for women suffering from heart disease. The drink has a stimulating effect on the heart and circulatory system. Menthol dilates blood vessels and prevents tachycardia. A plant containing rosmarinic acid and eugenol inhibits the formation of blood clots in the bloodstream.

Mint tea made from fresh leaves with a high menthol content is not suitable for heart patients. Dry leaves are used to prepare the drink. Add a teaspoon of raw material to a cup of boiling water. Infuse the drink for 10 minutes.