Last modified on January 9th, 2023
7 Top Spearmint Teas
Spearmint tea is soothing and can be a great drink for any time of day. Along with tasting good, there are also spearmint tea benefits for your health and wellbeing. For example, spearmint tea may help with symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Spearmint tea may also help with respiratory and gastrointestinal problems. The following are our picks for the most high-quality spearmint tea and what else you should know.
Traditional Medicinals Organic Spearmint Tea
- High-quality herbs
- Minty and sweet
- Caffeine-free
- A reputable brand known for its teas
- Each serving contains 1500 mg of organic spearmint leaf
- Non-GMO Project Verified
- USDA-organic
- Sourced from a collective of organic farmers in Egypt
Naturopathica Spearmint & Gotu Kola Clarifying Tea
- Antibacterial blend with spearmint and repairing Gotu kola for skin appearance and health
- Ideal for people with oily or blemish-prone skin
- Also contains detoxifying and purifying dandelion
- According to reviews, it works well for clearing up acne
- Each bag is formulated to be used twice
Davidson’s Tea Bulk Organic Spearmint Leaves
- 16-ounce bag of loose-leaf tea
- Caffeine-free
- Packed in a kraft stand up pouch with foil lining for maintained freshness
- One of the top-rated spearmint teas on Amazon
- Certified organic
Alvita Spearmint Organic Tea Bags
- Made with premium, organic spearmint leaves
- Sweet and aromatic
- Comes from wildcraft or organically cultivated ingredients
- Teabags are oxygen bleached and not chlorine treated
- Users say they think it helps with things like ovarian cysts
- Reviews say it helps with PCOS
- According to reviews, it’s a good tasting tea
Teavana Jade Citrus Mint
- Top-rated tea with thousands of reviews
- Green tea blended with spearmint, lemongrass, and lemon verbena
- Teavana supports tea-growing communities and sustainable farming practices
- Crafted by tea experts
- Users say this tea tastes great
- Both soothing and invigorating
Kusmi Spearmint Green Tea
- Loose-leaf green tea with spearmint leaves
- Includes mint essential oil for more flavor
- Can be served hot or cold
- Plastic-free muslin tea bags that are eco-friendly
- Source of clean caffeine
- Users describe it as having a delicious, unique flavor
Positively Tea Company Organic Spearmint Green Tea
- Loose leaf
- Blend of organic spearmint leaves and green tea
- USDA-certified organic
- One-pound bag that will make anywhere from 150 to 240 cups of tea
- High in antioxidants and amino acids
- No additives, colorants, or preservatives
- Money-back guarantee
What are the Benefits of Spearmint Tea?
Spearmint leaves can be used whole, or they can be dried and chopped or ground. In traditional and folk medicine, spearmint has long been used for stomach and gastrointestinal issues, chronic bronchitis, dandruff, bad breath, and respiratory issues.
Spearmint, including extract and oil, are on the FDA “Generally Recognized as Safe” list.
Spearmint is a type of mint that is also found in toothpaste and mouthwash. It contains vital nutrients, antioxidants, and vitamins. The aroma and flavor are less influenced by menthol than peppermint, and the taste is somewhat sweeter.
Research published in the journal Food Chemistry said that spearmint extract has high flavonoid and phenolic content and excellent antioxidant activity.
The following are some of the specific potential benefits of spearmint, including spearmint tea.
Digestive Issues
One of the most common uses of spearmint is to aid with various digestive issues. These can include gas, nausea, vomiting, and indigestion.
There’s a compound called carvone that naturally occurs in spearmint. It may prevent muscle contractions in the digestive tract. That may be one reason it helps with stomach problems.
There was a study of people with irritable bowel syndrome. One group was given a product with spearmint, coriander, and lemon balm. The other was given the diarrhea medication loperamide. The people receiving the spearmint supplement reported less bloating, pain and discomfort compared to the people in the placebo.
Some people may also find that spearmint helps relieve nausea and vomiting stemming from chemotherapy.
Hormonal Imbalances
One of the primary benefits of spearmint tea is for hormonal imbalances. Spearmint tea for PCOS is one way it’s used.
Studies have shown spearmint can reduce testosterone and other male hormones and increase female hormones that help with ovulation, including follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH).
In one randomized study that ran for 30 days, 42 women with PCOS were looked at. The women who drank spearmint tea twice a day had lower testosterone and higher FSH and LH than women who had a placebo tea.
In an animal study, spearmint essential oil reduced ovarian cysts and testosterone and increased viable eggs in the rats’ ovaries.
Spearmint tea for PCOS may help with:
- Hirsutism
- Cystic acne
- Hormonal imbalances
- Inflammation
- PMS symptoms
- Irregular periods
- Immune health
- Gut health
- Cardiovascular health
- Reducing anxiety and stress
Free testosterone levels are the main reason for PCOS acne and hirsutism. It is thought that spearmint tea may reduce free testosterone levels by up to 30%.
The current belief is that the longer you drink spearmint tea, the more PCOS symptoms might be alleviated.
If you’d like to try spearmint tea for PCOS, you might aim to have two to three cups a day. Having it at mealtime can provide digestive help.
Facial Hair in Women
This has been touched on above, but it’s worth talking about on its own as well. Spearmint tea may reduce facial hair in women. That is what’s called hirsutism. In Middle Eastern countries, it’s common to use spearmint tea as a remedy for unwanted hair.
The hair growth is linked to androgens, which are male hormones.
Two studies have shown spearmint tea has the potential to help.
Acne
Drinking spearmint tea can help with acne and especially hormonal acne. It is likely because the tea can reduce testosterone levels. Male-associated hormones are one of the big reasons that women experience acne. This is especially true of adult acne, which occurs along the jawline and is often worse during your period.
If you aren’t sure whether your acne would benefit, you can try to have a cup or two each day for 30 days and see how it goes. Ideally, you might see even better results if you continue this for 60 to 90 days.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants help protect our cells from damage by free radicals. Free radicals can cause oxidative stress and damage. Oxidative stress is linked to chronic health conditions like diabetes and cancer.
Spearmint has antioxidant compounds like flavones, flavanones, and rosmarinic acid.
Spearmint also has vitamin C.
Memory
Studies in mice have shown improvements in memory, possibly linked to spearmint. Studies in humans have also found that there are potential benefits of chewing mint gum on memory.
In one study, older people with memory impairment were given a daily 900 mg spearmint extract supplement. They had a 15% improvement in working memory on average.
Antibacterial
Spearmint has potential antibacterial activity. It can protect against bacterial infections. This includes food-related bacterial illnesses such as what is caused by listeria and e. Coli.
Blood Sugar Reduction
Spearmint tea may help reduce blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. Limited human studies look at this possible benefit, but the results in animal studies have been promising.
For example, in a study of rats given the equivalent of 9 mg per pound of spearmint tea, the rats with diabetes had significantly reduced blood sugar.
In a separate study of rats with diabetes, when they were given spearmint extract, they had a 25% blood sugar reduction.
Stress and Anxiety Reducer
Many people find that tea in general helps reduce stress and anxiety. Spearmint tea, in particular, may be a natural stress reliever. In South American countries, people often rely on spearmint tea to help with stress and sleep problems.
In a rat study, spearmint extract reduced anxiety and improved sleep.
One reason this may be the case is that spearmint has menthol. Methol acts like a natural sedative. Spearmint may interact with your brain’s GABA receptors. GABA is a natural neurotransmitter that reduces overactivity in the brain.
Arthritis Pain
Spearmint in both animal and human studies has been linked to pain-relieving effects. In a 16-week study of people with arthritis in their knees, consuming spearmint twice a day reduced disability and stiffness.
Blood Pressure Reducer
Many people in the U.S. have high blood pressure, which can lead to serious health complications.
There are compounds in spearmint tea that might act similarly to calcium-channel blockers. Calcium-channel blockers are a type of medicine often used in the treatment of high blood pressure.
In an animal study, a spearmint compound was 100 times more effective at reducing blood vessel contractions than one commonly used blood pressure prescription medicine.
Making Spearmint Tea Part of Your Routine
If you’re interested in enjoying the benefits of spearmint, having it in tea form makes it easy and convenient. You can buy it in tea bags or as a loose-leaf tea.
You can also make it from fresh spearmint leaves.
You can have tea hot or cold.
Along with getting spearmint through tea, you can use fresh spearmint in other ways as well.
For example, you can use spearmint leaves as a seasoning for food, or you can use the leaves to make mint sauce.
While spearmint is considered generally safe according to the FDA, if you have a mint allergy, you should avoid it. Spearmint can lead to mild reactions such as headache or throat irritation if you’re allergic.
Spearmint vs. Peppermint
When you’re choosing a mint tea, you may see both spearmint and peppermint options. For the health benefits listed above, you should specifically choose spearmint tea.
Mint is a blanket term that refers to anything from the Mentha family. The Mentha family includes peppermint and spearmint and orange mint, apple mint, and more. Mint is an herb.
Spearmint has a mild flavor largely because it contains carvone. Peppermint, on the other hand, has a strong flavor because it has more menthol.
Are There Any Side Effects of Spearmint Tea?
Spearmint tea, when used appropriately, is considered very safe. However, you should always talk to your doctor about any kind of herbal tea if you’re pregnant. Using high amounts of spearmint tea during pregnancy or any spearmint supplement can damage the uterus.
In very high doses, spearmint may also cause damage to the kidneys or liver. If you have existing liver or kidney disease, talk to your doctor before taking spearmint tea.
The risks of any kind of harm from spearmint are much greater if you take it in supplement form instead of having it as tea.
Be careful about taking this type of tea with any kind of sedatives such as Ativan and Ambien because it can increase their effects.
If you’re taking medicines that affect your liver, speak to your doctor before having spearmint tea. These can include acetaminophen, methotrexate, erythromycin, and many others.
Final Takeaways
Spearmint tea is an interesting drink that has many potential health benefits. Some of the possible benefits of this tea include:
- Digestion help
- Stress reduction
- Antimicrobial properties
- Sleep induction
- Help with PCOS symptoms
- Reduction of facial hair in women
- Antioxidant properties
Spearmint for PCOS is a particularly interesting area of research for many women.
If you’re going to get spearmint in tea form, look for high-quality products such as those listed above to get the most possible benefits.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The following are brief answers to some of the most common FAQs related to spearmint tea.
What is Spearmint Tea Good For?
Spearmint tea is a relaxing and soothing drink. You can have it hot or cold, and spearmint itself may have several health benefits.
For example, there is research indicating spearmint tea for PCOS may be a good option. PCOS causes excessive levels of male hormones in women. Spearmint can balance hormones and may reduce symptoms of PCOS, including facial hair in women.
Spearmint tea may also help with hormonal acne.
Aside from helping PCOS symptoms, there are other benefits as well.
Spearmint has antioxidants, it helps with digestive problems, and it can relieve stress and anxiety. It may also help lower blood sugar and blood pressure.
How Much Spearmint Tea to Lower Testosterone?
Since spearmint is considered an herbal supplement, there’s no standardize dosage to lower testosterone. However, in the currently available studies, participants usually have two to three cups of tea a day and find that helps with lowering testosterone.
How to Make Spearmint Tea?
You can make spearmint tea by using tea bags or loose-leaf tea, which we highlighted above.
You can also make it from spearmint leaves. To make your own, you’ll need a cup of water and a teaspoon of dried spearmint.
Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan and then remove it from the heat. Add your spearmint leaves and let it stand for five minutes. Then, strain the tea into a cup or mug.
Where Can I Buy Spearmint Tea?
If you don’t want to make your own, the brands and types of tea we listed above are all available on Amazon. You can also purchase spearmint tea from online brick and mortar grocery stores and markets and in many health food stores.
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