Mint Condition with Mint Teas

What is Mint?

There are about 25 different species of mints and peppermint is actually a natural hybrid cross between Mentha aquatica (water mint) and Mentha spicata (spearmint).

Peppermint

Peppermint has greenish-purple lance-shaped leaves and has tastes of a cross between pepper and green chlorophyll. Where chamomile tea can be calming and soothing, peppermint tea is very refreshing and relaxing.

Spearmint

Spearmint has crinkled leaves and pointed leaf tips shaped like spears and is more of a grayish green color than peppermint leaves and has a little more subtle and cool taste than peppermint.

Other plants in mint family include:

• apple mint

• orange mint

• water mint

• curly mint

• Corsican mint.

Health Benefits of Mint

Mint has significant health benefits mainly focussed around the digestive system. It has an anti-spasmodic action which helps with:

• stomach cramps

• wind

• dyspepsia

• diarrhoea

• Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

• heartburn

• indigestion

• morning sickness

• nausea

It is also excellent for:

• clearing a head when suffering from a cold or headaches

• sweetens breath

• baby colic

• manage stress

• asthma

Mint has an amazing power to cure cancer. Mint contains a phytonutrient called perillyl alcohol. This phytonutrient prevents the occurrence of colon, skin and lung cancer. Mint works by attacking the tumour's blood vessels, starving cancer to death.

With Spearmint teas, recent studies have found that drinking two cups a day can help with Hirsutism - this condition in women, where hair grows in areas such as the face, stomach and chest is thought to be caused by too many androgens (male hormones such as freely circulating testosterone).

Recipe

Chocolate Mint Tea

Chocolate goes well with tea, not just coffee. You can brew up this recipe is a jiffy, using instant hot chocolate powder and bags of mint tea.

Ingredients: 6 mint tea bags / 6 cups milk / 6 tablespoons hot chocolate mix

Preparation: In a saucepan, heat milk with tea bags until almost boiling. Steep for a couple of minutes and strain out tea bags. Pour our 6 mugs of milk, and then stir in a tablespoon of chocolate powder in each mug.
Get Yourself in Mint Condition with Mint Teas
By Uma Mays

Uma Mays
Level: Basic PLUS

Uma Mays is married with two young children and lives in England. She has over 15 years experience in IT Project Management working for mainly ...
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