What is mint tea for (with video and 7 delicious recipes)

Improving digestion and decreasing nausea are some of the benefits of mint tea, which can be prepared using common mint, also known as Mentha spicata and another species known as peppermint or Mentha piperita.

Mint is an aromatic herb that can be used in cooking and for medicinal purposes because it has analgesic, antispasmodic and aphrodisiac action, being a great tea to take after meals because it helps with digestion. It also has anti-parasitic action being useful to fight amoebas and giardia, for example.

Common mint or Mint spicata

Peppermint or Mint piperita

What is mint for

Mint tea is great for treating various health problems, such as:

Poor digestion, nausea or vomiting; High cholesterol; Headache; Menstrual colic; Nasal or pulmonary congestion, especially in cases of flu or cold with cough; Abdominal pain, for having anti-spasmodic action, insomnia, bloody diarrhea, genital trichomoniasis;

In addition, this medicinal plant also helps to eliminate worms.

Mint can be used in forms other than tea, as capsules with oil or dry plant extract or as essential oil for skin or aromatherapy. This is also an aromatic herb that is easy to have at home in a vase because it requires little care and combines very well with pineapple or lemon juice, in drinks and even for yogurt sauces in savory dishes such as seasoning, for example.

Check out the benefits of mint in the following video:

Mint Tea Recipes

Teas can be prepared using both types of mint, according to the intended benefits.

1. Mint tea with cinnamon and ginger to lose weight

This tea should be prepared with any type of mint, adding ginger and cinnamon because these other ingredients help to lose weight.

Ingredients:

6 mint leaves; 1 cinnamon stick; 1 cm of ginger root; 180 ml of water.

Method of preparation:

Add the ingredients in a pan and boil for a few minutes. Then rest until warm and then strain and take without sweetening, throughout the day.

2. Common mint tea for fever

Mint leaf tea, when combined with meadows or queen-of-meadows and bitter orange, is good for treating fever, as it promotes increased sweat. In addition, it is also good for breathing problems, such as cough, asthma, flu, hoarseness, runny nose and nasal congestion.

Ingredients:

15 g of common mint leaves, 70 g of linden flowers, 10 g of queen of meadows; 5 g of bitter orange.

Preparation:

In a cup of tea add 1 tablespoon of the plant mixture and add 150 ml of boiling water. Let stand for 10 minutes and strain. This tea should be drunk several times a day, and preferably always before going to bed to help sweat.

3. Mint tea for stomach pain

Common mint leaf tea, when combined with crushed licorice root and chamomile flowers, is good for treating inflammations in the stomach such as gastritis, or in cases of gastric ulcer. Learn how to identify a gastric ulcer.

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon of fresh or dried mint leaves; 1 teaspoon of crushed licorice root; half a teaspoon of chamomile flowers.

Preparation:

Add the respective quantities of each plant in a cup of tea and add 150 ml of boiling water. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes and strain. This tea should be drunk 3 to 4 times a day, to help calm the stomach. See more about this plant's properties in Hortelã.

4. Peppermint tea for colic or gas

Peppermint tea is good for fighting menstrual cramps and intestinal gas.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons of whole or crushed dried peppermint leaves or 2 to 3 fresh leaves; 150 ml of boiling water.

Preparation:

Put the peppermint leaves in a cup of tea and fill with boiling water. Allow the infusion to stand for 5 to 7 minutes and strain. This tea should be drunk 3 to 4 times a day and preferably after meals.

5. Peppermint tea to improve digestion

Peppermint tea when combined with dried fennel or fennel seeds and melissa leaves can be used to relieve stomach pains and spasms.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons of dried peppermint leaves; 2 teaspoons of fennel or fennel seeds; 2 teaspoons of lemongrass leaf.

Preparation:

Put 1 tablespoon of the previous mixture in a cup of tea and fill with boiling water. Leave the infusion to stand for 10 minutes and strain. This tea should be drunk very hot, 2 to 3 times a day, and preferably after or between meals. See more about Peppermint properties.

6. Mint tea to loosen phlegm

This tea is very good for fighting respiratory diseases like flu or cold.

Ingredients:

6 chopped leaves of thick mint, 150 ml of boiling water.

Method of preparation:

In a cup add the water over the chopped and crushed leaves and let stand for 5 to 7 minutes. Strain, sweeten with honey and drink 3 to 4 cups a day.

7. Common mint tea against diarrhea

Mint leaf tea is good for aiding digestion, for reducing nausea and vomiting, and for calming the gut.

Ingredients:

2 to 3 tablespoons of fresh, dried or crushed mint leaves; 150 ml of boiling water.

Preparation:

In a cup add the mint and the boiling water. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes. This tea should be drunk 3 to 4 times a day, and preferably after or between meals.

How to plant mint

Mint is easy to grow and can be found at home on a plot of land or a pot of plants. It is necessary to keep the soil moist and well treated with fertilizers, such as chicken manure. It only produces flowers when it is in humid lands, but prefers sandy, well-drained soils, so it is recommended to keep the plant in a pot or a flower pot, for example.

It is necessary to prune the mint regularly, which can be done when removing some stems for consumption.