In the hot weather of summer it is nice to drink a peppermint tea (either hot or iced). A yummy way to drink an iced peppermint tea is to dissolve a little bit of honey or sugar in a small amount of boiling water, then fill the glass with chopped fresh peppermint leaves, and ice, top up with cool water.
Peppermint is a cooling herb energetically speaking, but it also has many other healing qualities. Peppermint is a drying herb, so the next time you have a cold, a very strong peppermint tea may help to dry out your airways.
It is also very useful in the digestive system – which is where eating an “after dinner mint” originated from, although the modern chocolate version is a little removed from this! Peppermint is a carminative herb, which means it relaxes the intestines, and can help relieve cramping and flatulence. It is also antiseptic, so can help to kill unwanted bacteria in the intestines. It is very useful in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome.
There are a couple of cautions with using peppermint therapeutically. It shouldn’t be used with pregnant women (although the odd peppermint tea from a tea bag is ok), or if you have gallstones.