Synonyms in a broader sense
Vegetable synonyms: peppermint belongs to the labiate family (Lamiaceae), like lemon balm or sage. It is also called motherwort, cat’s-tail, celebrity or taster, as well as garden mint or English mint. Latin name: Mentha piperitae
Summary
The healing power of peppermint was already described by many healers in ancient times. The essential oils, primarily menthol, as well as the bitter and tanning substances, contribute to the healing properties of the plant. Peppermint came to England via North Africa and is still known today under the term spearmint. When the leaves are crushed, the typical spearmint smell is created. Peppermint is of great importance in folk and monastic medicine because it offers a very wide therapeutic spectrum.
History
Peppermint (Mentha piperita) can be considered an ancient medicinal plant today. In millennia-old Egyptian graves it was found as a burial gift. In its current cultural form, the medicinal plant peppermint was described in England in the 17th century.
It is probably a cross between the brook mint and the spearmint. The biologist John Ray gave it the name Peppermint in 1696 and the healing properties of peppermint were described by the writer Dale as early as 1705. The leaves and the oil extracted from them were used for medicinal purposes.
Production
Peppermint is cultivated in North America and Europe. In our country the medicinal plant is mainly cultivated in Bavaria and Thuringia. The active substances of the medicinal plant peppermint are found in the leaves.
Dried peppermint leaves are used for medicinal purposes, as well as the oil, which is extracted from the freshly harvested flowering twig tips by steam destination. The main ingredient is the essential oil with the main component menthol. However, peppermint only develops its specific effect in combination with the other ingredients.
Flavonoids, tannins, bitter substances and about 60% menthol lead to a healing effect and relief. The leaves are the starting material for medicines. The leaf extracts of peppermint are used to make dragées, tablets and peppermint oil. Tannin, bitter substance, lots of essential oil with the main component menthol