Peppermint Oil

The medicinal herb Peppermint Oil as an alternative herbal remedy - The herb Peppermint is often used to flavor foods, and the leaves can be used fresh or dried in teas.Common Names--peppermint oil

Latin Names--Mentha x piperita

What Peppermint oil Is Used For

Peppermint oil has been used for a variety of health conditions, including nausea, indigestion, and cold symptoms.
Peppermint oil is also used for headaches, muscle and nerve pain, and stomach and bowel conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome.

How Peppermint oil Is Used

Essential oil of peppermint can be taken in very small doses in capsule or liquid forms. The essential oil can also be diluted with another oil and applied to the skin.

What the Science Says about Peppermint oil

Results from several studies suggest that peppermint oil may improve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.
A few studies have found that peppermint oil, in combination with caraway oil, may help relieve indigestion, but this evidence is preliminary. *Although there are some promising results, there is no clear-cut evidence to support the use of peppermint oil for other health conditions.

Side Effects and Cautions of Peppermint oil

Peppermint oil appears to be safe for most adults when used in small doses. Possible side effects include allergic reactions and heartburn.
Capsules containing peppermint oil are often coated to reduce the likelihood of heartburn. If they are taken at the same time as medicines such as antacids, this coating can break down more quickly and increase the risk of heartburn and nausea.
Tell your health care providers about any complementary and alternative practices you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care.

News About Peppermint

Enhance Athletic Performance with Peppermint

Source:http://www.care2.com/greenliving/enhancing-athletic-performance-with-peppermint.html

By Dr. Michael Greger

Ever since smoking was prohibited in night clubs, customers have increasingly noticed other unpleasant smells present in the club—like body odors. So, researchers in Europe thought they’d try to cover them up. The researchers measured the effects of peppermint, for example, on dancing activity and asked people to rate their energy level. They found that with peppermint scent, people felt more cheerful and danced more, and so, concluded the researchers, “environmental fragrancing may be expected to have a positive effects on club revenue.” Innovative nightclubs are already inviting “aroma jockeys” to smell the places up.

The business community caught whiff of this and thought maybe peppermint smell would get their secretaries to type faster. And it worked! There was improved performance on clerical tasks associated with the administration of peppermint odor.

In an age where athletic competitions are frequently won or lost by mere hundredths of a second, athletes are continually looking for new ways to excel in their sport. Researchers threw some collegiate athletes onto a treadmill and piped different smell into their nostrils, and those on peppermint reported feeling less fatigued, more vigorous, less frustrated, and felt they performed better. But did they actually perform better?

A different study published in the Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology measured actual performance, and participants were actually able to squeeze out one extra pushup before collapsing and cut almost two seconds off a quarter mile dash with an odorized adhesive strip stuck to their upper lip. Interestingly there was no significant difference in basketball free throws. The researchers think the reason is that free throws actually require some skill, and all the peppermint can do is really improve athlete’s motivation.

Unfortunately follow-up studies were not able to replicate these results, showing no beneficial effect of smelling peppermint on athletic performance, so how about eating peppermint? Researchers measured the effects of peppermint on exercise performance before and after ten days of having subjects drink bottles of water with a single drop of peppermint essential oil in them. And all the subjects’ performance parameters shot up, churning out 50 percent more work, 20 percent more power, and a 25 percent greater time to exhaustion. Improvements were found across the board in all those physiological parameters, indicating increased respiratory efficiency. They attribute these remarkable results to the peppermint opening up their airways, increasing ventilation and oxygen delivery.

Now, you can overdose on the stuff, but a few drops shouldn’t be toxic. Although, it’s ideal to blend fresh mint leaves in water rather than use the oil.

Essential Oil Labs Reveals Peppermint Oil Can Be Natural Mice Deterrent

Source:http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/2818750

(Digital Journal)

A Los Angeles, CA business has released new information on an unexpected use of peppermint oil, particularly with deterring mice the natural way. One of the more unusual and lesser known benefits of the said essential oil is that it can repel mice as demonstrated many people. The company hopes to encourage more people to use this oil as a humane way to keep pests at bay.

Quinton Jeffries of Essential Oil Labs says: "Mice are pests and if you get them in your home, it is very difficult to get rid of them. While people traditionally turn to mouse traps or poison, these are inhumane ways of solving the problem, not to mention that these can pose significant risks to pets and people in the home. Peppermint oil is a natural alternative that is relatively safe and will keep mice away."

Essential Oil Labs prides itself in creating multi-functional essential oils that can be used for home, garden and overall health and beauty. All their products are 100% natural and are made from responsibly sourced ingredients. In so doing, they know that they do not cause any damage to the planet, while at the same time harnessing the powers of Mother Nature herself.

The said essential oil in particular has proven to be very popular. "Essential Peppermint Oil is a wonderful all natural product that has a multitude of uses," says Becca L. "I love the fact that it is so invigorating. The scent is fantastic and very pure. I am blown away by it's powerful aroma. This aroma actually opens my airways and helps me to breathe easier. Also this oil is a great natural pest control product. Bugs don't like the scent of the peppermint. Actually works. Also great for getting rid of lice and using in hair as a repellent to prevent it."

People are also encouraged to follow the Essential Oil Labs Twitter account. This will give them an opportunity to hear of more uses for the oil as they are uncovered. They can also share their own particular uses of the peppermint oil with the company and with the general public as a whole.

Peppermint oil may help those suffering IBS

Source:http://www.news4jax.com/health/peppermint-oil-may-help-those-suffering-ibs

(News4Jax)

Study: Peppermint oil helps IBS sufferers

BOCARATON, Fla. - In a national survey conducted in October 2015, U.S. gastroenterologists were asked about their use of peppermint oil in the management of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). The survey revealed that the majority (83 percent) of these gastrointestinal specialists were recommending peppermint oil for their IBS patients.

"These findings may be somewhat surprising to many people, but there is a growing body of evidence supporting the use of peppermint oil in IBS," said Michael S. Epstein, M.D., a leading gastroenterologist. Dr. Epstein is also the Chief Medical Advisor for IM HealthScience, innovators of IBgard, a novel medical food containing peppermint oil for the dietary management of IBS.

In an article entitled, "Therapy Options in Irritable Bowel Syndrome,"[1] published in December 2010, in theEuropean Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the authors conducted a meta analysis of the options available in the management of IBS. Management options analyzed included various prescription therapies, such as antispasmodics, antidepressants, and non- prescription options, such as peppermint oil, probiotics and fiber. With respect to peppermint oil, the analysis included four studies with a total of 392 patients. Three out of four of those studies had a Jadad score (validated scoring system that measures quality of study on a scale of 0 to 5) of four or higher.

The authors analyzed the outcome of various options for IBS management. Based on their analysis of overall efficacy, they concluded that the "highest efficacy is currently found for peppermint oil, followed by psychotherapeutic and psychopharmaceutical interventions and probiotics. Traditional antispasmodic therapy has moderate efficacy, whereas the list of (partially failed or cancelled) motility-affecting drugs yielded weak clinical results, and therapies of bran and fiber are of no value in IBS."

In an American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) monograph on the management of IBS published in August 2014,[2] the ACG summarized, "In specific formulations, which may not be universally available, peppermint oil is effective in IBS." No strong recommendation was made for any product category, including peppermint oil, for the management of diarrhea predominant (IBS-D), one of the most prevalent types of IBS. This monograph also identified a need for more studies and longer clinical trials with peppermint oil.