Peppermint is one of the flavors of the holiday season. You’re probably finding it everywhere right now, from candy canes to lattes.
Traditionally, peppermint has been considered to be good for the stomach. From a scientific perspective, is it true? How does peppermint impact your gut health?
What Does Peppermint Do For Your Gut?
It’s not just a myth. There is actually some scientific evidence to show that peppermint can be beneficial for gut health.
One major reason is that several compounds found in peppermint are anti-inflammatory. Inflammation in the gut can have an effect on the entire body. This is because the gut produces many different substances that enter the bloodstream and impact other parts, including your skin.
In addition, inflammation in the gut can sometimes cause tiny spaces to appear between the cells of the gut lining. Normally, these cells are held very close together, forming a seal that prevents unwanted substances from passing through the gut lining. When the gut is inflamed and spaces develop between the cells, then substances may pass from your food into your bloodstream – including allergens and toxins.
Peppermint may help to calm down any excess inflammation in your gut, which in turn helps to protect your skin health as well as your overall health.
Peppermint also has a relaxing effect on the muscles of the gut wall. When these muscles start to spasm, you may feel abdominal pain, cramping, and/or nausea. Peppermint can help to relax the muscles and relieve discomfort. (If episodes of abdominal pain or cramping are common for you, please check in with your doctor to make sure that you don’t have a serious medical condition.)
Peppermint has antimicrobial effects as well. It inhibits the growth of certain harmful species of bacteria. This means that peppermint could help to shift the balance of your gut microbiome – the bacteria in your gut – in a healthy direction. I do want to note that this research has mostly been done in the lab, and there haven’t been enough studies to make sure that peppermint really has this effect inside of a human body. But it’s still encouraging, and it’s one more reason to consume peppermint if you enjoy it.
How Should You Consume Peppermint?
It’s important to recognize that most of the studies on peppermint involved peppermint oil. You could choose this option if you’d like to make sure to maximize the benefits of peppermint for your gut. For example, you could try adding a bit of peppermint oil to your coffee in the morning.
However, other ways of consuming peppermint are still likely to provide many of the same benefits. For example, peppermint tea is a very popular way to consume peppermint. This is also a great way to help ensure that you’re staying hydrated, which is very important for your skin.
However, it’s also important to recognize that sugar has many damaging effects on your gut health. Eating peppermint along with sugar is likely to have negative impacts. So you don’t want to get your peppermint in the form of candy canes or sugary peppermint syrups in your coffee. The harm of the sugar will outweigh the benefits of the peppermint.
If you’re looking for the healthiest type of candy, dark chocolate is the way to go. If you love peppermint, you can certainly choose a peppermint-flavored dark chocolate! If you want to enjoy peppermint in your coffee, try simply adding a bit of peppermint oil, rather than a sugary peppermint syrup.
Making Healthy Choices at the Holidays
Many people struggle to make healthy dietary choices, especially during the holiday season. It can be challenging to strike the right balance – to prioritize your health without sucking the joy out of the holidays.
Support from a community of like-minded women – like our wonderful Mind Gut Skin Academy community – can be very helpful. If you join the MGS Academy course, you’ll automatically become a part of this wonderful group of women. The brand-new version of the course will be launching soon – go here to learn more or to get on the waitlist. You can also reach out to me here for one-on-one support.