Refreshing and fragrant peppermint is a common plant. Humanity has been using preparations based on it since ancient times, and they have not lost their relevance and universality to this day. What is the secret of this herbaceous plant, and how to prepare from it an almost universal tincture, with which you can remove a variety of symptoms and fight a lot of diseases, we will tell today.
Chemical composition
In the above-ground part of peppermint contains essential oil, in the foliage - about 3%, in the inflorescences - from 4 to 6%, and in the stems - 0.3%. The oil contains menthol (up to 70%) and its esters. Also in the plant there are tanning compounds, resins, carotene, organic and fatty acids, neutral saponins, rutin, arginine and betaine. Mint also contains vitamins A, B, C, and PP, as well as micro and macronutrients, such as calcium, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, iron, zinc, and copper.
Did you know? In ancient Rome, mint was used as a perfume, and also it was sewn into pillows for a good sleep.
Useful and medicinal properties of peppermint
The rich chemical composition gives the plant numerous pharmacological properties, namely peppermint:
- Relieves tension, fatigue, stress, nervous disorders.
- Soothes.
- Improves bile outflow.
- Relieves spasms.
- Anesthetic
- It is an antiseptic.
- Improves blood circulation.
- Normalizes digestion.
- Accelerates intestinal motility.
- Contributes to the normalization of the chair.
- It is used as a light anesthetic.
- Increases brain activity.
- It has a beneficial effect on blood vessels and arteries.
- Effective with colds.
- It is used to treat problems of the oral cavity.
Harm and contraindications
Peppermint can not harm the body, but its use should be abandoned in such cases:
- With individual intolerance.
- With varicose veins.
- With low blood pressure.
- Children up to 3 years.
- Women planning a pregnancy are strictly prohibited if there are problems with conception.
- Nursing moms.
- Men should use peppermint and a drug based on it in limited quantities, as the plant lowers libido.
Important! The plant causes drowsiness, so it should be used with caution to people whose work requires concentration.
2 cooking recipes
Peppermint tincture can be purchased at the pharmacy or prepared by yourself. Let's take a look at how to prepare the drug at home.
Alcohol tincture
For the preparation of alcohol tinctures will need:
- fresh or dried peppermint - 100 g;
- vodka or alcohol (70%) - 400 ml.
Read how to make a tincture of propolis, golden whisker, Rhodiola rosea (golden root), horseradish, cherry, cranberry, blackfruit (black chokeberry or black rowan), plums, pine nuts, sabelnik and black currant.
Water infusion
In order to prepare a water infusion, you will need:
- peppermint (dried) - 1 tbsp. l .;
- water - 200 ml.
It is necessary to put the raw materials in a container and pour boiling water. Then put the dishes in a water bath and simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes. Cool broth and filter through a sieve or cheesecloth. Store the water infusion in the refrigerator in a glass container, tightly closed lid.
Use in traditional medicine
Tinctures from this mint have long been successfully used in traditional medicine. With their help, you can get rid of colds, headaches, insomnia and much more. Let's look at how to use this drug for various diseases. 
With a cold
Water tincture of peppermint is shown for acute respiratory viral infections and colds as inhalations. To carry out the procedure, you need to put a small saucepan of water on the stove and bring to a boil. When the water boils, turn off the fire and add 1 tbsp. l tinctures. Then you need to lean over the pan so that the face is 30-40 cm from boiling water, cover your head with a towel and inhale the healing vapors for 10-15 minutes.
Plants such as verbena officinalis, anemone (anemone), nutmeg, amaranth, linden, onions, deviasil, kupena, raspberries, and meadow sage will also benefit in treating colds.
This procedure will help alleviate the general condition of colds, acute respiratory viral infections and bronchitis, breathing, as well as relieve pain and swelling in the throat.
For headaches and migraines
Alcohol tincture of the plant will help get rid of headaches and migraines. It is enough to rub a few drops of the medicine into the temporal region, forehead and back of the head 3 times a day with massage movements. The tool relieves cramps, cools and soothes, with its help you can quickly and permanently get rid of headaches and migraines. 
From tiredness
If at the end of the day you feel like a squeezed lemon, water infusion of this plant can also come to the rescue. It is enough to drink 200 ml of the healing drink three times a day before eating, and you will forget about what fatigue is.
From nausea
If nausea is one of the symptoms of toxicosis in pregnant women, you should drink 2 tablespoons of water infusion every half to two hours. And if this unpleasant symptom appeared as a result of stress or food poisoning, then water infusion is drunk 250 ml 3 times a day. And in either case, it is undesirable to add sugar to the drink, as a last resort, you can sweeten it with honey.
From hangover
Alcohol tincture is used to relieve alcohol intoxication. The remedy contains menthol, which quickly helps to cope with the hangover. It is necessary to drop 20 drops of this product into a glass of water, and in a few minutes all unpleasant symptoms will go away. 
Important! Patients with chronic alcoholism are advised to take a decoction of peppermint, which relieves the symptoms of a hangover, including removes muscle trembling, and also normalizes the heart rhythm.
For insomnia
In order to get rid of sleep problems, it is necessary to drink 100 ml of peppermint broth for 2-3 weeks daily 2-3 times a day. If insomnia occurs due to stress or overexcitement and is not a permanent problem, you can drip 20 drops of alcohol tincture into a glass of water and drink it before going to bed.
To relieve inflammation in the oral cavity
Rinsing the mouth with warm water with the addition of 20 droplets of peppermint tincture will help get rid of stomatitis and other inflammatory processes. The procedure is carried out 2-3 times a day. 
In addition to peppermint, inflammatory processes also recommend red root (Hedysarum forgot), yarrow, lungwort, ginkgo biloba, kalanchoe, calamus marsh irgu, ivy, kirkazon (aristolohiya), sage (Salvia) pratense, propolis and broccoli.
A decoction of this plant, prepared 1: 1, is used for compresses. Cotton swabs or gauze moistened in a healing liquid, impose on the inflamed areas and leave for 5-10 minutes.
With increased and low acidity of the stomach
To reduce the acidity will help the use of water infusion of this plant. For its preparation, you need to pour 5 g of raw material with 200 ml of boiling water and let it brew for 15-20 minutes. Then filter the liquid and drink 1 tbsp. l every 3 hours.
With low acidity, folk medicine experts recommend taking a water infusion, for the preparation of which you need 1 tbsp. l dried peppermint and 200 ml of boiling water. Raw materials are poured with water and infused for an hour. After the time, filter and drink 25 ml 5 times a day. 
With arthritis
Water infusion of peppermint helps to alleviate the condition with arthritis and arthrosis. In such cases, it is added to the bath. To prepare such a drug, the raw material is poured boiling water in a ratio of 1: 3 and boiled over low heat for 20 minutes. Then the broth should be allowed to brew for 30 minutes, strain and add to the bath with warm water. It is necessary to take such baths 2-3 times a week for 10-15 minutes.
Important! When eczema, psoriasis, allergic rashes and dry skin is also recommended to take a bath with a decoction of mint. The product soothes the skin and stops inflammation.
In the treatment of diabetes
In order to normalize blood sugar levels, raise the body tone and strengthen the immune system, experts in the field of traditional medicine prescribe mint water infusion to patients with diabetes. Preparing a healing drink is very simple: you need to take 5 g of dried leaves of mint, pour 200 ml of boiling water over them and let it brew for 15 minutes. Then filter the broth and drink instead of tea 1-2 times a day. 
Application in cosmetology
Besides the fact that the plant helps to cope with various diseases, it is used to maintain beauty and preserve youthful skin. The range of mint in home cosmetology is very wide, it is part of lotions, creams, masks and lotions.
Lotion
This tool will help to improve the condition and color of the skin, get rid of small wrinkles, irritations and rashes on the face. To prepare the lotion you need to take 3 tbsp. l dry peppermint, pour 1 cup boiling water and leave for 25-30 minutes. After the specified time, the liquid is filtered and poured into a clean glass container with a tight lid. In the morning and in the evening it is necessary to wipe the face and neck with a cotton pad dipped in lotion. The result will not take long to wait - your skin will change, its color will become uniform, acne and inflammation will disappear and a healthy glow will appear. Video: peppermint tincture for hair growth and strengthening
Compress
To improve the condition of problem skin, with copious rashes and irritations will help compresses from mint leaves. The procedure will require several fresh sprigs of plants, which must be soaked in a small amount of hot water for 15-20 minutes. Softened leaves impose on the affected skin, and the top is covered with a soft cloth dipped in mint tea. The compress is left on the face for 10-15 minutes, and then washed off with cool water. The procedure is recommended no more than 1-2 times a week.
Consider the most popular types of peppermint, and in particular pepper and plentranthus.
Combination with other tinctures
Besides the fact that peppermint-based medicines are very effective in their own right, their effects can be supplemented or enhanced with the help of other herbal preparations.
With Corvalol
If you mix the tincture of Corvalol and peppermint, you get a great sedative to help overcome stress and normalize sleep. The mixture is drunk 2-3 times a day, 10-30 drops, which are dissolved in water or dripped onto refined sugar. 
Did you know? According to Russian beliefs, if you collect mint on the day of the Trinity and put it under a pillow, then in a dream you can see a coney or a coney.
With eucalyptus
This tandem is perfect for the treatment of throat and respiratory diseases. Both plants are anti-inflammatory, therefore they are used in this combination to treat sore throats, bronchitis and ARVI. A mixture of tinctures taken orally for 1 tsp. three times a day before meals or diluted with warm water and gargling.
With hawthorn
When mixing tinctures of mint and hawthorn in a ratio of 1: 4, it turns out a sedative, which is recommended by experts in the field of traditional medicine to relieve neurosis, treatment of depression and insomnia. The medicine is taken in 15-30 drops before bedtime. A mixture of these tinctures causes drowsiness, so it is not recommended to take it in the daytime. 
How to prepare mint
The plant is collected during the flowering period, which falls at the end of June and the beginning of July. Sprigs or individual mint leaves should be cut in dry sunny weather. It should be noted that the young shoots are inferior in flavor saturation more mature, but this does not affect their beneficial properties. The leaves are laid out on a flat surface and dried in a dry warm place, protected from direct sunlight.
If you want to keep the mint fresh for the winter, find out how to dry and freeze the mint at home.
Twigs can be bundled and hung in dry, well-ventilated rooms. After drying, the mint is crushed and placed in bags of natural fabric or airtight containers and stored in a dark dry place. Shelf life of raw materials is 2 years. 
Now you know that tinctures of peppermint help to get rid of many diseases, without the use of chemical drugs. But despite the vegetable origin of such a drug, anyway, you should consult with a specialist before taking. This is necessary in order to avoid adverse reactions, as well as individually choose the dosage.
Reviews from the network of tincture of mint
Sold without a prescription from the doctor. The benefits of mint have long been known to many of us, but I have a special reverent attitude towards it.
I like peppermint tincture just to drink tea, especially black.
During the approaching migraine headaches, I mix a few drops of tincture with a small amount of water in a tablespoon. I wash it all down with a little water.
At a time when I feel strange cutting pains in the upper part of the stomach (sometimes it happens when I eat something harmful), then the same tincture of peppermint comes to my rescue ...
In addition to all the above, mint perfectly removes the accumulated fatigue and nervous overstrain.
I also recommend that you, my friends, keep the peppermint tincture in your home medicine chest ...
Be healthy!
