Peppermint tea is something you might be familiar with. But what about spearmint tea, another member of the mint family? People claim that spearmint tea, both in its raw form and as an essential oil, has many health benefits. What are the health benefits and side effects of spearmint tea? Check out the following review.

What is spearmint tea?

Spearmint (Mentha spicata) is a member of the Lamiaceae family, which contains numerous mint species. The oldest mint variant is spearmint. This plant is native to numerous regions in Asia and Europe. However, spearmint is currently present in numerous regions worldwide.

There is a common misunderstanding that this plant is the same as peppermint, wild mint, water mint, Japanese mint, or English horsemint. On the other hand, in reality, each of them is a different variation. It is common to use spearmint in the production of tea, essential oils, fragrances, and chewing gum. This plant is commonly used to enhance the flavor of food and drinks due to its fragrant scents and fresh taste.

In addition to their use in food preparations, spearmint leaves are believed to possess numerous health advantages. The spearmint tea plant is believed to contain antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial effects that are beneficial for overall health. Flavonoids, phenolics, and carvone are among the components that contribute to this effect.

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Spearmint tea nutritional content

One cup of brewed herbal tea contains the following nutrients:

• Calories: 2 cal
• Total fat: 0 grams
• Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
• Sodium: 2 milligrams
• Total carbohydrates: 0 grams
• Sugar: 0 grams
• Protein: 0 grams

Spearmint and other herbal teas are considered a healthy drink to consume in the morning or evening due to their low calorie and fat content. In addition to the aforementioned nutrients, spearmint tea contains minerals and other nutrients, including antioxidants, vitamin C, flavones and flavanones, and folate, in extremely low concentrations as a result of the drying process of the tea leaves.

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Health benefits of drinking spearmint tea

Some of the health benefits of spearmint tea include:

Lower blood pressure

Carvone, an ingredient present in spearmint, is similar to a component present in medications that can lower high blood pressure. An animal study demonstrated that carvone can decrease the constriction of blood vessels. Nevertheless, additional research is required to ascertain the same effects in humans.

Help in the treatment of digestive problems

Spearmint may be helpful in maintaining the health of your digestive system and relieving symptoms such as nausea. Spearmint tea has the potential to relieve digestive issues and comfort the muscles in the stomach.

Improve memory

Furthermore, spearmint tea has memory-enhancing benefits. Supplementing the diets of older adults with spearmint extract on a regular basis improved memory function by 15%, according to one study.

Balance hormones

Patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have also reported improvements in their symptoms after consuming spearmint tea. PCOS is a condition characterized by an imbalance of the hormones estrogen and androgen in women. It is believed that the consumption of spearmint tea can restore testosterone levels to their normal state, thereby relieving some of the symptoms associated with high testosterone.

In a single study, participants with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) who consumed spearmint tea twice daily for a month exhibited reduced testosterone levels and higher levels of LH and FSH than those who consumed placebo tea. According to some studies, the effects of spearmint tea begin to manifest after only five days of consumption.

Spearmint tea is a drink that is suitable for daily consumption. At present, there have been no reports of severe adverse effects associated with the consumption of spearmint tea. Consuming spearmint tea in excessive quantities may induce adverse effects.

Consult with your doctor before consuming spearmint tea for treating health problems such as PCOS or high blood pressure. You can also use the consultation feature with a doctor on the Ai Care application, which can be downloaded on your mobile phone.

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