Peppermint is a hybrid mint, a cross between watermint and spearmint. The plant, indigenous to Europe and the Middle East, is now widespread in cultivation in many regions of the world. It is found wild occasionally with its parent species.
History
First described in England in 1696, peppermint and its oil have been used in Eastern and Western traditional medicine as an antispasmodic, aromatic, and antiseptic in the treatment of cancers, colds, cramps, indigestion, nausea, sore throat, and toothaches. Today, the oil is used widely as a flavoring in chewing gum, cigarettes, mouthwash, pharmaceuticals, and toothpaste. It also is used as an ingredient in cough and cold preparations and as a carminative for IBS. As a menthol component, it is also found in numerous antipruritic, antiseptic, and local anesthetic preparations.Peppermint was first described in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus from specimens that had been collected in England; he treated it as a species, but it is now universally agreed to be a hybrid. It is a herbaceous rhizomatous perennial plant growing to 30 to 90 cm (12 to 35 in) tall, with smooth stems, square in cross section. The rhizomes are wide-spreading, fleshy, and bare fibrous roots. The leaves are from 4 to 9 cm (1.6 to 3.5 in) long and 1.5 to 4 cm (0.59 to 1.57 in) broad, dark green with reddish veins, and with an acute apex and coarsely toothed margins. The leaves and stems are usually slightly fuzzy. The flowers are purple, 6 to 8 mm (0.24 to 0.31 in) long, with a four-lobed corolla about 5 mm (0.20 in) diameter; they are produced in whorls (verticillasters) around the stem, forming thick, blunt spikes. Flowering is from mid to late summer. The chromosome number is variable, with 2n counts of 66, 72, 84, and 120 recorded. Peppermint is a fast-growing plant; once it sprouts, it spreads very quickly.
Color & Aroma
Color: Green.
Aroma: Bitter
Uses
In addition to use as a seasoning and flavoring, peppermint is used to treat irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and other GI conditions. Menthol is available in numerous commercial preparations used to treat respiratory tract infections and topically for its cooling and warming action to relieve pain. However, there is limited clinical information supporting its use for these conditions.
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