Latin Name
Mentha x piperita
Family
Lamiaceae
Chemotype
Menthol, Menthone
Distilled Component
Herb flowering
Recommended Use
Traditionally used in phytotherapy to help relieve nausea and vomiting.
Precautions
Not recommended for pregnant or nursing women, and children under the age of 6.
Anecdote
The wives of the Romans used it to hide the smell of the wine they drank secretly at a time when the law sentenced to death whoever consumed a drink strictly reserved for men and Gods. In the pyramids of Egypt, archaeologists found dried peppermint leaves dating back to the 1st millennium before Christ. The first accurate botanical description of the peppermint was given in England during the 17th century. The herbarium of the British Museum in London displays samples several hundreds of years old.