Peppermint Has Been Used In Treating Indigestion, Nausea, Sore Throat, Colds, Toothaches, Cramps, And Cancers.

Peppermint or (Mentha piperita) is one of the most popular flavors of the mint family. It can be found in a wide variety of foods especially sweet candies and cakes. The history of peppermint goes back to ancient times. As early as 1500 BC it was used as a medicinal herb and as a flavoring in food. Great scholars such as Pliny the Elder and Aristotle argued over its properties.

• Peppermint latte is typically made of Espresso, steamed milk, mocha sauce and peppermint-flavored syrup.
• Peppermint is a hybrid mint between watermint and spearmint.
• The first description of peppermint was in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus.
• Peppermint has high menthol content, that is widely used to relieve minor throat irritation.
• Peppermint syrup is a delicious complement to coffee and hot chocolate.
• Peppermint has escaped cultivation and can be found growing wild in moist areas throughout Europe and North America.
• Peppermint oil is produced by specialized cells on the underside of the leaves.
• The best time to harvest and collect the oil is on a sunny day as flowering is just beginning. This is when menthol is at its peak.
• Peppermint is the number 1 selling flavor among non-chocolate, hard candies.
• Ancient Greeks believed mint could cure hiccups
• The US produces 70% of the Worlds peppermint supply.
• Peppermint has been used in Eastern and Western traditional medicine as an aromatic, antispasmodic, and antiseptic in treating indigestion, nausea, sore throat, colds, toothaches, cramps, and cancers.
• Peppermint is the most extensively used volatile oil, both commercially and medicinally.
• Peppermint is thought to have originated in Northern Africa and the Mediterranean.
• In the Ebers Papyrus, an ancient Egyptian medical text dating to 1550 BC, mint is listed as calming to stomach pains.
• Mint was so valued in Egypt that it was used as a form of currency.
• According to Greek Mythology, Mint was supposedly the river Nymph Hades was trying to cheat on his wife with, but apparently, the wife found out and turned Mint into a lowly mint plant. Supposedly mint got its pungent, sweet smell when Hades softened the spell so that when people walked upon his lover they would smell her sweetness.
• Peppermint was eventually introduced to Europe where it also became a popular culinary and medicinal herb as early as 1240 AD.
• Monks used mint as a tooth polisher while cheesemakers used mint to keep rodents out of their storage areas.
• Even those without severe stomach troubles can benefit from a cup of peppermint tea after dinner to aid digestion. Peppermint tea has long been thought to have a calming effect that can help to relieve stress and settle the mind before sleep.
• Peppermint also contains high levels of the antioxidant rosmarinic acid. This antioxidant helps fight allergic asthma, atherosclerosis, and cancer
• The top 5 peppermint-producing states are Oregon, Washington and Idaho with more than 1 million pounds each, followed by Indiana, California and Wisconsin. (2010)
• The four varieties of peppermint are Black Mitcham, the original selection from the wild, and three variations: Todd’s Mitcham, Murray Mitcham and Robert’s Mitcham.
• Peppermint is one of the oldest and best-tasting home remedies for indigestion.
• The Romans believed eating mint would increase intelligence. The scent of mint was also supposed to stop a person from losing his temper, and royal ambassadors carried mint sprigs in their pockets.

Sources:

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Peppermint Indepth Info