Do you take advantage of the amazing herbs that exist in nature? So many of these little plants have the attributes that can help to change the lives of people everywhere, but which one catches your eye? If you’ve ever tried chewing on a piece of freshly plucked mint leaves, then you know that there aren’t many flavors as bold and refreshing as mint, but is that where the goods stop with mint or are there a lot more to this amazing herb than what it does to your dancing taste buds? It turns out that science has uncovered previously unknown facts about how mint can help improve health. Functional Medicine Los Angeles will go over some of the top health benefits of mint.
- It Limits Allergic Reactions
Like it or not, many people are affected by the presence of one thing or another. Allergic reactions, as said by Functional Medicine Burbank doctors, begin when people with a particular sensitivity meet certain substances or materials, which are often biological, such as pet wastes or dander. Most people are even allergic to the wastes of extremely small organisms like dust mites, which is the main reason to clean and far beyond cleaning the dust itself.
When ingested, mint can reduce some of the symptoms of allergy by reducing inflammation in the areas associated with the reaction. Once the inflammation goes down, you will experience some relief. That makes mint great for coughs and other issues that can be aggravated by harsh, sudden contractions of the muscles in the surrounding area.
- Arrests Spastic Muscles
When your throat is red and irritated, the muscles around the neck and chest can become sore from the act of coughing that has been brought on by initial irritations and inflammation along the esophagus. You’ve probably noticed that your throat and chest become very tired and sore after an entire day of coughing, so this is how mint came into use. Thousands of years ago, people discovered that mint can reduce inflammation, as well as calm spastic activity in muscles. This in turn will help prevent the resulting inflammation that further exacerbates the problem. Today, herbs like mint are tied very closely with hot drinks like tea.
- Helps Fight the Effects of Colds
When you catch a typical cold, there are so many individual effects that influence how sick you feel. Irritations, soreness, difficulties breathing, and overactive mucus production are just a few of the immensely inconvenient symptoms that you could experience, but the introduction of mint can help you to soothe away a large portion of the most annoying effects caused by illness. When the mint works to reduce swelling, you will be more comfortable and able to rest. This will lead to decreased disturbances in your chest and throat. The activity that is involved in coughing uncontrollably is a major waste of energy and places a huge strain on your system, which makes you more susceptible to sinking further into illness, so the last thing you want would be to have trouble resting and getting a good night’s sleep.
- Keeps Your Mouth Healthy
The human mouth contains a vast array of bacteria that it uses to help digest food and send signals to various systems. Sometimes, the type of bacteria that resides in the mouth can become imbalanced, making the mouth a breeding ground for bad bacteria that can cause illness. A really good way to combat these types of situations would be to find a more natural means of limiting the growth of harmful bacteria and introducing something that can help the helpful bacteria increase in population.
Mint is an excellent way to achieve oral health balance because it can naturally clean and help protect your mouth. Adding mint to your drinks and keeping fresh sprigs around to chew on can help change the pH of your mouth and make it more hospitable to the helpful bacteria as well. Not only that, but the natural scent of mint can help instantly freshen your breath without adding harsh acidic sugars to the mix. Chewing mint also helps provides an easy environment in which the mouth can make repairs.
- Improves Labored Breathing
When you’re sick with a severe cold, one of the very worst things that can happen is your breathing passages getting blocked off by swelling and inflammation of different types. This can make daily activities and even sleep a terrible ordeal. This cyclic issue will compound the issue because you’re likely to get even more unhealthy in your weakened state, but a great way to combat the breathing issues is to ingest or chew a large portion of mint.
Due to the anti-inflammatory nature of mint, the reddened and swollen areas inside your respiratory system are likely to be soothed within a very short time of ingesting some fresh mint. One great way to get these benefits would be to add some fresh mint to your tea. The hot liquid and vapor can be extremely penetrating and effective.
- Has Essential Vitamins and Minerals
Herbs are amazing plants on multiple levels. Not only do they add massive amounts of flavor to the favorite dishes of the world and grant fresh breath to those who eat them, but they also give people some of the very important trace minerals that aid in the development of the human body. Phosphorus, iron, and calcium are among the most well-known, along with vitamins C and A, which are ultra-important for the repair and growth of skin cells.
These vitamins and minerals also make up some parts of the cell walls in your circulatory system, which is important for living. Fresh mint is more popular than ever and having it means having a healthy body, so you can bet that you will easily find all the foods that you can put with it to gain maximum benefits.
- Improves Digestion
Do you ever get stomach aches after dinner? Some people suffer from sensitive stomachs all their lives, and this can be very difficult for those who are planning to gather at family functions or special dinners for their job. If you are a person who suffers from a digestive disorder, then you know the careful planning that must come into play around those types of events. A careless dining experience could possibly end your night and leave you wishing that you had just stayed home.
Mint contains a few different agents that can help soothe the stomach and digestive tract in very effective ways. This can help prevent the bloating and painful reaction that can sometimes occur due to various intolerances that have arisen over time. This is especially true for people who suffer from the types of gastrointestinal changes that take place later in life.
- Helps with Weight Loss
If you’ve ever tried to lose weight, then you know how challenging it can be. Aside from availing of the help of Burbank Functional Medicine experts, one way to help set yourself up for a successful weight loss would be to make sure that you’re drinking plenty of teas. One of the best teas for weight loss is mint tea because it leaves you smelling fresh. The usefulness of tea has been well documented by science, so you can be assured that adding a cup of tea each day will help you to get where you want to go in your health goals.
Another strategy would be to pair mint with other foods that are known for improving health, like lemons. You can try making infused water with lemon wedges and mint. This is a classic way to get the body ready for a new healthy course and make it easier for you to lose weight in a healthy, natural way.
- Improves Memory
Have you forgotten anything today? The human mind is a complex network of stored experiences and emotions that make up who we are. In that way, it could be said that if you forget too much of your life, then it’s possible that you could begin to lose who you are. Massive amounts of research on memory and how it can be influenced has been collected over the last few years, and science has discovered that mint can help increase recall, and improve the way that memories are stored. If you’ve been having trouble remembering things, then you could try keeping some mint plants around with some fresh cuts to chew on. Maybe that will give you the needed extra boost to help you pass a test or keep important things on your mind. - Liver Support
When you’re feeling tired all the time and you don’t have the energy to do your normal everyday tasks, it could mean that you are having some serious issues with your metabolic functions. The liver is the center of many of these processes that help you to feel energized so wanting to take good care of your liver is essential. Mint contains several of the body’s most important vitamins and minerals that allow your body to be able to repair itself more properly. When your liver is working better, you’ll be feeling a lot better. Ingesting fresh mint is good for this action in nearly any form.
- Repels Some Flying Insects
Flying insects like mosquitoes and other pests can plague your lifestyle and make you feel miserable. Some flying insects can even carry terrible diseases that lead to lifelong illnesses. It would make sense then, that you would do everything in your power to protect both you and your family from what could potentially be a life-threatening situation. Even without any of that, who wants to be bitten every time they walk out their door?
It turns out that mint is a plant that gives off a smell that is unpleasant to mosquitoes. The only catch is that for it to have maximum potency, you must get it in the form of essential oil. The next best thing would be to cut it and rub its juices directly onto the surface of your skin.
- Might Help You Cope with Depression
Depression is a very difficult thing for people all over the world. It affects a large portion of both adults and children. Every experience of each person is completely their own, so treating the difficulties of depression is very tough due to the extremely personal nature of each person who is suffering from the disorder. There are, however, some things that can be universally appreciated by all people, even at the most difficult times. Some of this is due to the way the human genome was developed, so some of those things that caused joy in our ancestors are still good for us today. Mint is one of the few plants that give off a scent that interacts with the brain and produces feelings of positivity. Studies have suggested that keeping mint around can improve your moods by a noticeable degree.
- Alleviates Gas and Bloating
Most people have had an embarrassing experience involving flatulence. Some foods can cause a person to become swollen with gas. This can lead to the sudden and uncontrolled expulsion of these gases, which can be very unpleasant for anyone unfortunate enough to be caught nearby. If you’ve ever hoped to find a natural route to help avoid these situations, our Los Angeles Functional Medicine agency has the answer: mint! Eating mint can help prevent the production of methane gas because it stimulates the production of gastric juices. Eating an actual sprig of mint will most likely be the best for reducing gas and unsightly bloating. Simply pluck a healthy part of the plant, chew it up, and swallow.
- Pain Management
Have you ever had a small cut that just makes you want to scream? In ancient times, people who had access to mint frequently used it on small cuts and scrapes for pain relief. It also has some antibacterial agents that help prevent some small infections. Functional Medicine Studio City studies have shown that this is more than tribal thinking; mint can limit pain response. They’ve even discovered that ingesting it has some pain-relieving effects as well.
What else can you think of that can be done with mint?
Services Areas Covered by Functional Medicine Los Angeles:
Studio City, CA, Beverly Hills, CA, Burbank, CA, Encino, CA, Glendale, CA, Los Angeles, CA, North Hollywood, CA, San Fernando, CA, Santa Monica, CA, Tarzana, CA, Toluca Lake, CA, Valley Village, CA, Van Nuys, CA, and West Hollywood, CA