While peppermint has historically had some unusual uses, modern formulations tend to focus on its homeopathic, household and cosmetic benefits. The herb requires specific ecological conditions for optimum yield, drastically reducing the regions for cultivation. However, this is a complex process to master. To make peppermint oil, fresh parts of the flowering plant are distilled with steam which extracts the essential oils. Surrey is the UK hotspot for peppermint production. With the United States accounting for over 90% of its output. Global production of peppermint delivers over 4,000 tonnes per year. Peppermint is native to the Mediterranean, but has also been cultivated in the USA, Italy, Great Britain, and Japan. As biologists grabbled with the best uses for peppermint for which the herb is known today. Stumbled upon peppermint in a garden when he spotted a sweet yet pungently aromatic plant he had not documented before. The part of history we can be certain of is its discovery in England some 1,600 years after the Ancient Egyptians. Conversely, Ancient Roman naturalist, Pliny the Elder, reported its popularity simply as a pleasant food flavouring and table garnish. Alexander the Great was rumoured to forbid soldiers to consume peppermint for fear that it conjured erotic and distracting feelings. Beyond myth, Aristotle believed the herb to be a natural aphrodisiac. Emitting the powerful smell any time she was touched. Peppermint has also been referenced in Greek mythology the nymph ‘Mentha’ angered Persephone so much she was punished by transformation into its plant form.

However, many believe that its provenance can be traced as far back as Ancient Egyptian times. Peppermint, or Mentha piperita, was first cultivated for medical use in eighteenth-century England. Before sharing some interesting facts on the benefits of peppermint oil. Here, we explore the origins of the leafy herb and its uses. With its virtues extolled by producers and purveyors all over the world. Today, it is commonly found in cosmetic, household and medical products. For thousands of years, peppermint oil has been used as a fragrance, food source and medicine.

Peppermint benefits