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Instead of flu season, we can choose to look at it through a better lens. We can focus on pumpkin spice or apple cider season instead. And after pumpkin and apple season we get peppermint season! Here at Atrantil, we are very excited about peppermint season because it’s extremely beneficial for your gut health!peppermint

What is gut health?

Now you might hear about gut health a lot, or you might be fairly new to the world of gut health. Typically when we talk about gut health we are talking about everything from your bowel habits to symptoms of nausea or heartburn to the gut microbiome. 

Gut health is important because, believe it or not, your gut microbiome is considered your second brain. Your gut has that much control over your body and the processes happening inside of it that it is considered a brain.

That’s pretty crazy, right? Well here are some of the things that have been scientifically proven to be manipulated by the state of your gut:

This list could truly go on and on. 

Your gut health is a focus for healthcare providers because it controls pretty much everything.

So keeping your gut healthy is extremely important for the rest of your body.

Peppermint and Gut Health

Peppermint has a lot of healing properties to it. 

  • Antispasmodic
  • Antioxidant
  • Polyphenols
  • Antibacterial
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Pain relief

While some people who have indigestion or suffer from reflux may experience negative side effects from peppermint, the general population can receive many benefits from peppermint. 

Peppermint can help relieve pain and is often used for tension or sinus headaches and in many topical treatments for joint relief. It can also be used for common cold symptoms and treatment.

Children who experienced functional abdominal pain experienced improved symptoms and gut microbiome composition after taking peppermint oil supplements. While the changes weren’t drastic, the benefits were noted. 

The most commonly studied benefit of peppermint is for IBS patients. Multiple studies have shown its benefits for improving IBS symptoms which is why it is often used in IBS treatments, like Atrantil.

How can I get more peppermint in my diet?

So now that you’ve seen some of the benefits of peppermint, you may wonder how to get more peppermint into your diet. 

Peppermint comes in all forms. You can get the leaves themselves to use as garnishes for drinks and food. You can get it in a supplement form, which you’ll want to check out how the quality is before using. Or you can get it in a candy, gum, or other sugary treats which isn’t your best option, but is still available to you.

So let’s break down the different ways you can get peppermint and see what you should be looking for when considering your options.

Peppermint Drinks

Peppermint is such an easy addition to drinks. Whether you enjoy sipping on tea or mocktails (cocktails too but we want to avoid alcohol where we can), there’s likely an option for you!

Tea is a great way to get peppermint because you get the raw benefits from the plant itself. Steep fresh or dried peppermint leaves to make a lovely drink. Add peppermint leaves to your mocktails for a fresh flavor on hot days. 

There are some not-so-great peppermint drinks too. The peppermint mocha from your favorite coffee chain may not be the best. Check out the amount of sugar in those drinks and you’ll notice that the benefits of the peppermint may not outweigh the dangers of the sugar. Also, the source of the peppermint flavor can be brought into question and will affect the ability to provide the benefits desired. 

Peppermint Supplements

Many supplements have peppermint in them — especially those for gut health. Whether you’re looking to tame nausea or improve IBS, there are a lot of different supplements out there that say they’re the best. 

To find a supplement that uses peppermint that is also safe, check for the NSF: Safe for Sport logo. This stamp of approval means the product undergoes 3rd party testing to ensure that products are safe for high-performing athletes and that what is on the label is actually inside the product (you’d be sadly surprised how many products don’t actually contain what is on the label).

Atrantil is one of the few gut-health products that contains peppermint leaf extract and has the NSF: Safe for Sport stamp. Learn more about Atrantil and its potential benefits for you here.

Peppermint Foods and Sweet Treats

There are so many delicious peppermint treats out there and this is the time of year we see them most. From candy canes to peppermint chocolate candies to cookies and hot drinks, there is something for everyone. 

But do they offer the health benefits you’re looking for? Or is it sugar disguised as a helpful treat?

It will likely depend on where you’re getting it and what ingredients are used. As a rule of thumb, if it’s being mass-produced by a company, it’s probably not too healthy. If it’s homemade, it might be safe.

Peppermint from pure sources will provide you with polyphenols and antioxidants to help fight off the sugars and free radicals. However, if it’s a fake source of peppermint it will add to the damage in your body. 

If you can’t figure out if it’s a safe source or not, it’s best to avoid the product altogether and find a way to make it at home. Experiment with pure, food-grade essential oils, extracts, or use the leaf itself. 

 

Here are some of the great recipes from our website that use peppermint in them. Try them out and let us know what you think in the comment section on this post! 

Organic Seared Steak Tataki 

Grilled Peaches With Fresh Whipped Cream Recipe

Persian Honey Rosewater Fruit Salad

Sparkling Mint and Raspberry Limeade 

Lamb Chops with Sugar-Free Mint Sauce

 

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