Organic Meeting of the Mints

Description

Peppermint and Your Health

Peppermint calms the muscles of the stomach and improves the flow of bile, which the body uses to digest fats. As a result, food passes through the stomach more quickly. Peppermint relaxes the muscles that allow painful digestive gas to pass.

Peppermint and its main active agent, menthol, are effective decongestants. Because menthol thins mucus, it is also a good expectorant, meaning that it helps loosen phlegm and breaks up coughs. It is soothing and calming for sore throats (pharyngitis) and dry coughs as well.

Spearmint and Your Health

The essential oil responsible for gibing spearmint it’s signature flavor is menthol. Other important chemical components of spearmint are α-pinene, β-pinene, carvone, cineole, linalool, limonene, myrcene and caryophyllene. These compounds in mint help relieve fatigue and stress.

Spearmint is rich in vitamin A (provides 4054 IU or 135% of RDA), beta-carotene, vitamin C, folates (26% of RDA), vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), riboflavin and thiamin.Spearmint also contains minerals like potassium, calcium, manganese, iron (148% of RDA), and magnesium.

An infusion of spearmint is an excellent remedy for minor ailments such as headaches, nervous strain, fatigue and stress, as well as for respiratory problems such as asthma and bronchitis.It is used for digestive problems, including nausea, flatulence and hiccups as it relaxes the stomach muscles.

Hibiscus and Your Health

Hibiscus is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is quite large, containing several hundred species that are native to warm-temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world. Member species are often noted for their showy flowers and are commonly known simply as hibiscus, or less widely known as rosemallow. The genus includes both annual and perennial herbaceous plants, as well as woody shrubs and small trees. The generic name is derived from the Greek word ἱβίσκος (hibískos), which was the name Pedanius Dioscorides (ca. 40–90) gave to Althaea officinalis.

Hibiscus tea is a natural source of vitamin C. It delivers a variety of beneficial organic acids, which include tartaric, citric and maleic acids. It also has the active flavonoids cyanidin and delphinidin, which gives the tea its red color. Every 100 g of hibiscus contains approximately 49 calories — 0.1 g of fat, 12.3 g of carbohydrates, 14 mg of vitamin C, 57 mg of iron and 1.7 mg of calcium. It is also rich in beta-carotene, about 300 mg per cup and 57 mg of iron.