Peppermint and Digestion:
What You Need to Know 04-22-2019

Mint has been one of the most commonly used medicinal herbs throughout history. Its use dates back to ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome when it was typically recognized for its healthful and restorative properties in relieving a variety of digestive and other issues. Mint tea has been a go-to relief for indigestion since biblical times, and in the mid-18th-century mint was actually considered a standard element of the medical pharmacopeia.

But the first thing you need to know about peppermint is that it is more modern, and a more powerful digestive aid, than the mints known in ancient times. While watermint and spearmint originated in Europe, peppermint is a hybrid cross between the two plants and was first described in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus. Since then it has spread throughout the world, and peppermint has been found to have stronger medicinal properties than either of the two originating plants.

Fact One: The Power of Peppermint

The power of peppermint as a digestive aid comes mainly from one of its compounds, an aromatic oil called menthol. When taken orally, menthol helps relieve gastrointestinal problems like indigestion, gas and bloating.

The science behind this is that menthol encourages bile to flow into the duodenum, where it promotes digestion by breaking down fats more quickly. Just in case you were wondering what exactly bile is, it is a fluid secreted by your liver that aids the digestion of lipids in the small intestine.

Menthol also has a very powerful anti-spasmodic effect. For those of you who are not medical doctors, “anti-spasmodic” means that it calms the action of the muscles in your abdomen, particularly those of the digestive tract, allowing painful digestive gas to pass more easily.

Fact Two: You Can Take It Every Day

Peppermint can be taken as a digestive aid in many ways, including peppermint oil capsules, or using the dried or fresh herb to make tea or infusions. One thing you should know is that if taken in tea or infusions, the menthol levels are much lower than when taken in the form of peppermint oil.

This leads to the natural question: How do I ensure I’m getting the right amount of peppermint every day to maintain my optimum digestive health?

Whether or not you experience ongoing symptoms, many herbalists recommend the regular consumption of peppermint because it helps normalize your digestive functions, maintaining your natural body rhythms. That is why taking peppermint in the form of a daily tonic can be more beneficial for your overall digestive health.

Fact Three: It’s Not for Every Condition

Another important thing to know about peppermint is that, although it is a powerful natural digestive aid, there are some issues for which it is not recommended.

If you suffer from heartburn or acid reflux, your condition may be due to GastroEsophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). In that case, peppermint can actually do more harm than good. Since peppermint relaxes the muscle which closes off the stomach from the esophagus, this effect may cause stomach acid to transfer back into the esophagus, making your heartburn feel worse.

Not everyone who experiences acid reflux is bothered by peppermint, but if you notice that minty chewing gum or candy mints trigger your heartburn, that's a sign that peppermint may not be for you.

Fact Four: The Perfect Balance

Fowler’s Digestive Tonic offers the perfect balance of peppermint oil with natural-source silicon, which enhances the overall maintenance of good health.

Silicon has been studied as a natural element in the rebuilding and maintenance of the digestive tract tissue for years. The silicon compound in Fowler’s Digestive Tonic may also help your overall digestive health, especially considering the fact that as your body ages, its natural levels of silicon degrade.

The peppermint oil in Fowler’s Tonic will not only help you with everything described above but will also balance your oral and intestinal flora to optimize the fermentation of undigested food. What that means, is that it will heal your gut naturally, by safely restoring the balance of healthy bacteria that help break down foods in your digestive system.