Mint, Its Uses, Effects, Recipes and Storage Method

Mint is a plant that is both ornamental and practical. It is not very picky about the growing environment and is highly adaptable. The rhizome can survive even at minus 15°C. The most suitable growth temperature for mint is 20°C. -30℃, so summer is the golden growing season for mint. It grows very fast and its stems and leaves grow better than in other seasons. Growing too well can also cause trouble. Friends who grow this plant must have heard this saying, "If you want the mint to grow well, pinching it to the tip is indispensable." It is different from other plants. The more you pinch the tip, the more gratifying the growth will be. Especially Easy to explode. Summer without mint is not a complete summer. It is refreshing and cool, refreshing and refreshing. At this time, whether you go out to buy milk tea or go out to eat, you can always see mint. I believe that my friends can also grow it at home. Today we are going to talk about mint. The whole plant is used as medicine. It is pungent and cool and returns to the lung and liver meridians. "Compendium of Materia Medica" says: "Mint can be pungent, cool, and clear, and it is good at dissipating wind and heat." It has the functions of dispersing wind and heat, clearing the head, regulating qi and relieving depression. It is used externally and can be used to treat prickly heat, mosquito bites, sores, etc. in summer. It is cool and comfortable after use. It can also be used to prepare dishes, pastries and beverages, and is a commonly used food therapy product.

Storage Process

The weather has been good recently, with plenty of sunshine, and the mint on the balcony has grown very fast. It is a plant that grows faster the more you pick it! Pluck so many leaves. It would be a pity to throw them away. Soaking them in water for the time being won’t be enough to use them. We can store it for a long time by doing this

1). Pick off the relatively older large leaves, so that the new young leaves have more nutrients; you can also pick the two pairs of leaves at the top tips, and pick off the leaf tips. Other side branches will branch off from the lower side buds.

2). Rinse the picked leaves with clean water, then absorb the water with absorbent paper, put them in a breathable basket, and let them air dry on the balcony. It usually takes two or three days to blow it up;

3). Store it in a clean bottle. You can put a desiccant from a pack of snacks for long-term storage. When you want to drink, take it out and soak it in water at any time

The Effects and Functions 

(1) Functional Indications

Dispel wind-heat, clear head and eyes, and clear up the rash. It is used for wind-heat colds, the onset of febrile diseases, headache, red eyes, sore throat, aphthous sores, rubella, measles, and swelling and tightness in the chest and hypochondrium. The main ingredients are volatile oil, menthol, menthone, iso menthone, etc.

Clear Away Heat and Relieve Inflammation

Adding peppermint to tea can strengthen the stomach, dispel wind, eliminate phlegm, promote choleretics, and resist spasms. It can improve fever, throat, swelling and pain, and eliminate headaches, toothaches, nausea, skin itching, abdominal bloating, diarrhoea, and indigestion. , constipation and other symptoms.

Relief the Pain

Studies have found that spraying peppermint essential oil onto an anaesthesia mask during surgery can reduce the number of anaesthetics and postoperative analgesics required. Studies by Wheeling Jesus University in the United States and headache experts in Germany have found that peppermint can relieve headaches as well as painkillers.

Relieve Stress

Modern people are prone to fatigue, and those with high work pressure are more likely to develop symptoms such as irritability, insomnia, and liver qi stagnation. Peppermint can help relieve symptoms such as irritability and insomnia, improve depression and other negative emotions, boost the spirit, make the body and mind happy, and help you fall asleep.

Sterilization and Antibacterial

It has a strong bactericidal and antibacterial effect. Mint has desensitizing, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects on mosquito bites. It also has obvious cough-relieving, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects on upper respiratory tract infections. Drinking it regularly can prevent viral colds, and oral diseases and freshen breathing. Gargling with mint tea juice can prevent bad breath.

Stomach Strengthening and Wind-dispelling Effects

Containing peppermint in the mouth has an exciting effect on the taste and smell nerves. It has a hot and stimulating effect on the oral mucosa, can promote oral salivation, increase appetite, increase the blood supply to the gastric mucosa, and improve digestive function. It is beneficial to treat food accumulation and relieve the feeling of epigastric bloating and stagnation. Additionally, it can relieve stomach cramps and hiccups.  In addition, peppermint also has a good carminative effect in the intestines, can reduce intestinal aeration, slow intestinal muscle peristalsis, and relieve intestinal hernia pain.

Other Effects

• Steaming noodles with mint tea mist can also shrink pores. Apply the leaves soaked in tea to your eyes to feel cool and relieve eye fatigue. It is said that peppermint is also known as "eye grass" and can be used to treat eye diseases. It has dual functions for medical and edible purposes. 
• The main edible parts are stems and leaves, which can be taken as juice. Food is often used to make dishes or desserts to remove the smell of fish and mutton, or to enhance the flavour with fruits and desserts. It can also be used with wine, tea, etc., and can also be made into a moisturizing lotion to reduce inflammation and swelling.
• Drink a glass of mint water after working out and sweating. After working out and sweating profusely, you will feel warm and thirsty. It is only comfortable to have a glass of water at this time, and mint water is the best choice. Its water has a cool and refreshing feeling, and a small amount of this water can have the effect of quenching thirst like a large glass of water. Drinking its water after exercise can also help the body accelerate metabolism, eliminate waste materials and toxins, relieve stress, clear away heat and relieve fatigue, increase appetite, and aid digestion.
• Promotes metabolism, has a therapeutic effect on respiratory tract inflammation, can also lower blood pressure and nourish the heart.

(2) Pharmacological Benefits

Topical application of peppermint water has cooling, anti-itching, anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. Menthol can stimulate the nerve ending receptors in the skin, producing a cooling sensation first, and then a slight burning sensation. Slowly penetrates the human skin, causing long-term congestion and achieving therapeutic effects.

Antipyretic:

 A small amount of peppermint can excite the central nervous system, dilate peripheral capillaries dissipate heat; and promote sweat gland secretion to induce sweating. Therefore, it has the effect of lowering body temperature.

Anti-inflammatory

The 8 types of catechin naphthalic acids contained in mint are effective anti-inflammatory agents, which can inhibit 3a-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and have weak anti-inflammatory effects. The blue aromatic hydrocarbons contained in peppermint have anti-inflammatory effects on scalded rabbit ears.

• Peppermint can increase the secretion of mucus in the respiratory tract. Removing the mucus attached to the mucous membrane can reduce foamy sputum and increase the effective ventilation of the respiratory tract.
• Peppermint oil has a stomachic effect and a therapeutic effect on experimental gastric ulcers; it has a strong choleretic effect and a hepatoprotective effect.
• Peppermint oil has anti-sperm implantation and anti-early pregnancy effects. The reason why it terminates pregnancy is that it can significantly reduce the level of chorionic gonadotropin. It may also be related to promoting uterine contraction and damaging the placenta.

(3) Clinical Application

• Treats symptoms such as fever, nasal congestion, headache, sore throat and other symptoms of colds and upper respiratory tract infections.
• Treat acute and chronic pharyngitis, tonsillitis, rhinitis, and bulbar conjunctivitis.
• Treats various dermatitis, such as allergic dermatitis, insect bite dermatitis, urticaria, itchy skin, psoriasis, and eczema.
• Topical Application: Various preparations of menthol are used topically to treat headaches, toothaches, and itchy skin.
• Used for liver qi stagnation, chest tightness and hypochondriac pain. This product also enters the liver meridian and can soothe the liver and relieve stagnation. It is often used with products such as Bupleurum, white peony root, and angelica to soothe the liver, regulate qi, and regulate menstruation. It can treat liver stagnation and qi stagnation, swelling and pain in the chest and flanks, and irregular menstruation, such as Xiaoyao Powder.

How to Use Peppermint as Medicine

There are three main ways of using mint products in medicine: dried mint leaves or whole herbs are used in Chinese herbal decoctions or Chinese patent medicine prescriptions; menthol crystals or mint tablets are used in Chinese patent medicines or Western medicine formulas.

Taboo:

This product generally has no toxic side effects. Only a few people have experienced reactions such as dizziness, nausea and vomiting, numbness of hands and feet, and a slight drop in blood pressure when using peppermint oil in large doses, but the recovery is good. Because of its aromatic and spicy powder, which induces sweating and consumes energy, patients with yin deficiency, fever, blood deficiency and dizziness should take it cautiously; those with superficial and spontaneous sweating should not take it. It is not advisable to take it for a long time. Overdose can cause respiratory paralysis and death.

Recipes

It is a common plant used in traditional Chinese medicine as a diaphoretic and antipyretic agent. Middle-aged and elderly people eating some mint porridge can refresh the mind, dispel wind and heat, increase appetite and help digestion. In summer, you can make a "cold soup" with mint at home, which can not only quench your thirst but also relieve the heat. Citizens may wish to give it a try. But it should be noted that it has a cool taste and should not be taken for a long time.

Mint Soup

Clean its leaves, chop them into small pieces, blanch them in boiling water, and add a little salt and sesame oil to make them feel refreshed.

Mint Herbal Tea

Wash the fresh mint, brew it with boiling water, add an appropriate amount of sugar, and let it cool naturally. Take 3 to 5 cups a day. It can cool you down and relieve the heat. After taking it, you will feel comfortable and your energy will double.

Mint Porridge

Decoction 15 grams of mint, add 60 grams of japonica rice and cook porridge. When the porridge is ready, add an appropriate amount of rock sugar and boil again. It can be taken warm for breakfast and dinner.

Mint Ice

Boil 4 bowls of water until it boils, add mint and boil for 5 minutes. Let the mint water cool and put it into an ice cube tray to make ice cubes. When you have a sore throat or dry mouth, put the ice cubes in your mouth and chew them. The temperature is high in summer, and people often go in and out of air-conditioned places, making it easy for them to catch colds. To prevent and treat colds, and also want to soothe your throat and promote fluid production, try consuming mint ice.

Mint Tea

By making tea with mint, you can take advantage of the wind-repelling and heat-clearing effects of menthol and menthone in mint. Moreover, the tea has a cooling effect and is a good medicine for removing heat and diuresis.

Mint Julep

Prepare 10 grams of peppermint oil, 50 ml of rice wine, and 0.05 litre of rice wine. Mix the peppermint oil, rice wine, and rice wine and drink it on an empty stomach in the morning and evening. It has the effects of clearing away heat, detoxifying, and clearing the throat.

Mint Tofu

2 pieces of tofu, a large handful of fresh mint, and 3 fresh green onions, add 2 bowls of water and fry until the water is reduced by half, then serve while hot. This delicacy can treat colds, stuffy nose, sneezing, and runny nose.

Mint Honey Tea

Take a few mint leaves and put them into a transparent cup, then add an appropriate amount of honey or sugar, then slowly pour in boiling water, wait until the tea cools down, and sip the tea in the cup, a light coolness will immediately linger around your body and mind, and you will feel relaxed and happy. : Relieves summer heat, and relieves fatigue.

Purple Cabbage with Mint – a Summer Diet Dish

Ingredients: purple cabbage, salt, white vinegar, chilli oil, mint

How to Make Purple Cabbage

Wash the purple cabbage; cut into thin strips; add salt, white vinegar, and chilli oil, mix well, then add mint and mix well.

Tips

The fibre of purple cabbage is relatively hard, so cut it into thin shreds as much as possible so that it tastes good and is easy to digest and absorb. Purple cabbage contains a large amount of fibre, which can enhance gastrointestinal function, promote intestinal peristalsis, and lower cholesterol levels. Regular consumption of cabbage vegetables can also prevent and treat allergies.