Spearmint Tea Benefits (And How to Make It)

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Spearmint, otherwise known as Mentha spicata Labiatae, has many known benefits. It is cultivated in Europe and Asia where it is originally from, as well as The Americas, Australia, and Africa. Its distinct fresh smell is attributed to a component called carvone, and along with menthol, makes it a popular ingredient in chewing gum, oral health products, and candy¹. Continue reading to learn about the benefits of spearmint tea, as well as how to make it.

Digestion and Stomach Upset

A popular use for spearmint tea is to ease digestion. There is evidence that it alleviates IBS symptoms , and there is evidence that it can prevent nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy². It is also often used for more mild cases of stomach upset due to overeating, or something that didn’t quite agree with you. This may be because it contains a significant proportion of carvone, which inhibits muscle contractions in the digestive tract³ .

What this means: Both tradition and scientific evidence support the use of spearmint tea to ease digestion.

Antioxidant

Spearmint is known to contain a significant amount of antioxidants, including phenolics and flavinoids such as rosmarinic acid, limonene, and menthol. These substances were found in dried spearmint using a mass spectrometer⁴. This allows us to understand why spearmint has been experimentally shown to reduce oxidation. In a study focused on irradiated lamb meat, oxidation was reduced by spearmint by 50%; this is attributed to the high phenolic content (22.48-28.76 mg/g).⁵

What this means: There is scientific evidence that the spearmint plant has anti-oxidative effects. Generally speaking, anti-oxidants are good for cells, the smallest unit of life.

Hormone balancing (Hirsutism, PCOS, Acne)

There is strong evidence that spearmint decreases androgens in women. In a study with women who have hirsutism and wished to reduce their symptoms, the participants had spearmint tea twice per day for five days during their respective follicular phases. This decreased their testosterone levels, while increasing luteinizing hormone, estradiol, and follicle-stimulating hormone.⁶ Because of this, it may help women who want to decrease facial hair caused by an overabundance of androgens. In another, longer term study, women with hirsutism took spearmint twice a day for thirty days, and their androgen levels also decreased significantly.⁷

What this means: This is great evidence for people who want to decrease the proportion of male hormones in their body. In cases of acne that are caused by increased androgens, it may help to clear up the skin. It may also relieve symptoms of PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) and hirsutism.

Relaxing

Spearmint is often used to ease anxiety.⁸ Menthol, a major component of spearmint, may be relaxing, possibly sharing GABAa receptor sites with the general anaesthetic propofol, although with much, much less efficacy.⁹ There is a very small amount of menthol present in spearmint, which may contribute to a soothing effect. Substances that act on GABA receptors are well known to be very pleasant and stress reducing.¹⁰

What this means: Drinking spearmint tea may help you relax.

Pain Reduction

Spearmint has been used as an analgesic for colonoscopies, C-sections, and oseoarthritis. It was found that spearmint tea twice daily for four months with a spearmint that is particularly high in rosmarinic acid, reduced pain for osteoarthritis patients. However, that is due to mechanisms that specifically target cartilage inflammation. Rosmarinic acid does not provide general pain relief. For more general pain, other constituents of spearmint such as carvone, limonene, and menthol, are thought to be the main pain reducers.¹¹

What this means: Spearmint tea taken regularly over a long period may help relieve pain. Unless it is particularly high in rosmarinic acid, it won’t help that much with the pain from osteoarthritis.

Bonus Info on Spearmint’s Antimicrobial Action

A study found spearmint to be effective against some types of bacteria. In particular, it was found to be effective against Vibro species V. alginolyticus (ATCC 33787 and ATCC 17749), V. parahaemolyticus (ATCC 17802 and ATCC 43996), V. vulnificus ATCC 27562, and V. fluvialis ATCC 33809. These are bacteria that thrive in saltwater, so they can be present in fish.¹²

A study on traditional Lebanese herbal medicine looked at the chemical contents of members of Lamaceae (spearmint’s family) and their essential oils. There is evidence that members of the Lamaceae family do have antimicrobial properties, but Mentha spicata was not found to have effective antimicrobial action against the pathogens in this study. Spearmint was found to be among the least effective at killing S. Aureus, E. Coli, C. Albicans, and T. Rubrum. This was an odd finding, since I found this article used as a citation for spearmint in particular being antimicrobial. However, the study found that some members of the same family, and in particular, those high in thymol or carvacrol, did have anti-germ action. The species found to be significantly antimicrobial were Coridothymus capitatus, Origanum syriacum, Lavendula stoechas, Satureja thymbra, and Thymbra spicata.¹³

However, another study on spearmint which looked at some of the same microbe species did find it to be an effective antimicrobial. In particular, it was found to be effective against S. aureus, E. Coli, Salmonella, S. Epidermis, and C. Albicans.¹⁴ This might be due to differences in composition of spearmint growing in different parts of the world. The previous study took place in Lebanon with Lebanese spearmint, and this study took place in Tunisia with the spearmint growing there. This is a well studied plant, and the chemical composition is known to vary by region.

What this means: Spearmint essential oil may have antimicrobial action, possibly depending on the region it’s from. This research is interesting to me because it is cool to see what molecules in particular are effective at killing which microbes.

Now that you are aware of some of the benefits of this distinctive member of the mint family, read on to learn how to make tea with Mentha spicata.

If you need to get your hands on some spearmint leaves, here’s a link to some organic loose leaf spearmint (1 lb): https://amzn.to/3A9uTNn

If you just want to try it, here is a smaller 4 oz package of loose leaf spearmint: https://amzn.to/4c8eKVK

As an Amazon associate, I may earn a commission on purchases you make through the above links at no additional cost to you.

How to Make Spearmint Tea

Spearmint tea is very easy to make. It’s similar to making a cup of black tea or chamomile tea, and doesn’t require stringent timing the way a more delicate tea, like green tea or white tea, does. Another relaxing tea with this quality is passionflower tea.

Ingredients

• 1 tsp of dried spearmint (5 mL or about 0.5 g)
• 8-10 oz of water (237-296 mL)

Equipment

• Kettle
• Mug or thermal cup
• Tea bag, pouch, or diffuser. You can also make it loose leaf if you choose.

Steps

1. Put water on to boil in the kettle.
2. Put the dried leaves inside the tea bag, pouch, or diffuser (or just place them in the cup you’re using), then place it in the mug.
3. When the water boils, pour it over the leaves.
4. Steep for about ten minutes, or until it cools enough to drink. You can remove the leaves or you can just leave them in while you drink it.

Enjoy your tea! Whether you’re drinking it for one of the benefits, or just because you like the taste, I hope you found this post helpful and informative. If you did, subscribe to Herbs and Brew!

Footnotes:

1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23843810/ ↩︎
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16868824/ ↩︎
3. tps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23103297/ ↩︎
4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27527127/ ↩︎
5. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S030881460500885X ↩︎
6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17310494/ ↩︎
7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19585478/ ↩︎
8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30158996/ ↩︎
9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18593637/ ↩︎
10. https://sci-hub.ru/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28107842/ ↩︎
11. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28107842 ↩︎
12. https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/20/8/14402#B40-molecules-20-14402 ↩︎
13. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28053641/ ↩︎
14. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1745-4514.2012.00656.x ↩︎