According to researchers whose findings were reported in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, people who enjoy peppermint-flavored drinks reported having 51% more energy throughout the day and 25% more endurance during strenuous tasks. Credit is given to the antioxidants in peppermint that ward off stamina-sapping oxidative stress.
British Researchers found that sipping on a peppermint drink can boost your mood, making you feel happier in as little as three minutes. The peppermint causes the release of mood-boosting alpha waves, which are electrical impulses in the brain, that make you feel upbeat or happier. Sad, having a bad day, or just in a lousy mood? How about a cup of peppermint tea?
Scientists at Stanford University say sipping a Peppermint drink or otherwise enjoying peppermint can make one pain free in as little as 10 minutes. Peppermint's fresh scent and flavor come from menthol oil, known to tamp down pain signals and soothe ache-causing inflammation. Note that one must be using real peppermint, not a peppermint flavoring. And be aware we are talking the aches that are caused by inflammation, not all pain.
A study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (2016, if I remember correctly) found that men who added a drop of peppermint oil to approximately 2 cups of water every day for ten days were able to run 15 minutes longer on the treadmill.
Does your stomach ever rebel when you eat a spicy Mexican meal, etc? Next time your stomach gives you a hard time after a spicy meal, try eating some peppermint. Now this needs to be something with actual peppermint in it and not just peppermint flavoring. A study published in the journal Pain a few years ago says that peppermint can soothe abdominal discomfort. A cooling agent called icilin activates a receptor in the colon that desensitizes the area. Have a cup of mint tea, etc to soothe your abdomen!
If you suffer from migraine headaches, have you ever tried sniffing peppermint oil? According to a study in the International Journal of Preventative Medicine, the scent peppermint works as well as lidocaine, a pain medicine, in taming the intensity and frequency of migraine pain. It is suggested that at the very first feeling of a migraine coming on, take a slow, deep whiff of pure peppermint oil. Many notice an improvement within five minutes. Apparently, mint's menthol relaxes the spasming scalp muscles while improving healing blood flow.
Having suffered many migraines over the years, I think this is definitely worth a try.
Are you having trouble focusing, paying attention, absorbing things during late night studying, etc? You might want to make yourself a cup of peppermint tea! In University studies it was found that peppermint tea upped office workers' performance during the day. When you smell the mint aroma from your hot peppermint tea, it stimulates the brain's arousal system and helps you pay attention. Perhaps at your next long boring meeting you should try a cup of peppermint tea instead of coffee! Yes, I have been there, done that long boring meeting thing. Why do you think they keep the coffee pot going during those meetings? Suggest they add peppermint tea to the beverage cart!
