What is the effect of Japanese medicinal plant oil?
Japanese mint (Mentha arvensis var. piperascens) contains an essential oil (Menthae arvensis aetheroleum) that is very rich in menthol. Japanese medicinal plant oil (Menthae arvensis aetheroleum partim mentholum depletum) can be obtained from this Japanese mint oil by a complicated process. It still contains about half of the original menthol.
Due to this spectrum of effects, Japanese medicinal plant oil is used for the following complaints, for example:
- functional digestive complaints such as flatulence or bloating (internal use)
- cold symptoms such as cold and hoarseness (internal and external use)
- Muscle pain (external use)
- Headaches (external use)
Japanese mint essential oil (mint oil) is less expensive than peppermint essential oil, so it is often offered as an adulteration of peppermint oil.
How is Japanese mint used?
For functional gastrointestinal disorders and respiratory catarrh, adults can take two drops of Japanese mint essential oil once or twice a day along with a piece of sugar cube or a glass of water. The daily dose is three to six drops.
To inhale with Japanese medicinal plant oil for respiratory tract inflammations such as colds, add three to four drops of the essential oil to a bowl of hot water and inhale the rising vapors.
To relieve muscle aches or headaches, apply Japanese mint essential oil topically. For example, you can rub the temples with three to four drops if you have a headache.
Ready-made preparations with mint oil
Ready-to-use preparations based on mint oil are also available, such as capsules for internal use. Ointments with the ingredient are supposed to help with itchy mosquito bites. Please use these products according to the instructions in the package insert or the recommendations of your doctor or pharmacist.
Discuss the dosage and application of Japanese mint oil or Japanese medicinal plant oil with your doctor or pharmacist first!
Occasionally, skin irritation and eczema occur after external use. Internal use may cause stomach upset in people with sensitive stomachs.
What you should consider when using mint oil
- In general: Always discuss the use of mint oil / Japanese medicinal plant oil and other essential oils in children with a doctor first!
- For the use during pregnancy and lactation, there are no studies on the safety. Affected women should therefore refrain from using it.
- In case of gallstone disease, obstruction of the bile ducts, gall bladder inflammation or liver damage, you must not use the essential oil internally.
How to get products with Japanese mint
You can get the essential oil of Japanese mint for medicinal use in your pharmacy and drugstore. There you will also find a variety of ready-made mint-based preparations such as capsules or ointments.
For proper use and dosage, please read the package insert and ask your doctor or pharmacist.
What is Japanese mint?
Known representatives of the mint genus are, in addition to the above-mentioned Japanese mint (Mentha arvensis var. piperascens), peppermint (M. x piperita), spearmint (M. spicata, also known as spearmint), Polei mint (M. pulegium) and Moroccan mint or Nana mint (M. viridis var. nanah). All mint species contain essential oil with menthol as the main active ingredient. Peppermint and Japanese mint have the greatest medicinal importance.
The essential oil (Menthae arvensis aetheroleum) contained in the flowering Japanese mint is extracted by steam distillation and is very rich in menthol at around 80 percent.
