Mint

Food · Vegetable · Food, Typed Supps

More than a garnish — mint (specifically its oil) has real evidence behind it for calming an upset stomach.

Stage by stage

Intake (Chewing releases its oils): Chewing releases mint’s menthol and aromatic oils.
Stomach (Digestion begins): Contents move to the stomach as menthol begins acting on gut tissue.
Small intestine (Menthol relaxes gut muscle): Menthol relaxes the smooth muscle lining the gut while vitamin A, C, and iron absorb.
Bloodstream & gut (Supports digestion and eyes): Vitamin A supports eye and immune health, while the relaxing effect can ease bloating and cramping.

Timing

Traditionally taken after a meal, as tea or fresh leaves, to help settle digestion.

Time to effect

Minutes to weeks: Its muscle-relaxing effect on the gut can work within an hour, while clinical benefit for ongoing digestive symptoms typically builds over a few weeks of regular use.

Allergens

None of the fourteen major allergens. Derived from what this food is, not from a product label.

Eating patterns

Fits: Vegan, Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Halal, Kosher, Keto, Gluten-free. Depends on the product: Low-FODMAP.

Satiety

Not scored: the satiety index is measured on 240 kcal servings, and nobody eats a 240 kcal serving of this. The question does not apply rather than the answer being unknown.

Environmental footprint

0.5 kg CO2e and 108 litres of freshwater per kg, matched to "Other vegetables" in Poore & Nemecek (2018), Science 360.

Cost band

Pricey — roughly £25 per kg, as a band midpoint rather than a price.

Key nutrients

Nutrition per 100g

Calories: 53.8
Protein: 3.1g
Carbohydrate: 4.4g
of which sugars: 0.9g
Fat: 1.1g
of which saturated: 0.3g
Fibre: 7.2g
Sodium: 28mg

Food vs. supplement

Peppermint oil capsules are a concentrated, clinically trialed version of the same antispasmodic compound fresh mint provides more mildly.

Kitchen tip

Steep fresh leaves in hot water for a simple after-meal tea, or add torn leaves at the very end of cooking to preserve their aromatic oils.

Common myth

“Mint tea after a meal is just an old wives’ tale.” In reality: Peppermint oil has genuine clinical trial evidence for easing digestive symptoms through a real antispasmodic effect on gut muscle, not just a placebo effect.

Recipes that use it

In the glossary

Placebo-controlled