Mint essential oil for internal use : when to take it and when to do without it. Properties and contraindications.
For internal use, peppermint essential oil is recommended for its calming properties that help soothe discomfort from nausea or vomiting. For the same reason, peppermint essential oil is used as a natural remedy to prevent motion sickness and seasickness.
It is used to freshen the breath, to eliminate intestinal worms and as an anti-inflammatory. In short, according to aromatherapy, the benefits of oral mint essential oil are really many.
Attention!
Only the essential oil for food use should be taken! You cannot take essential oils (albeit pure) designed for external use.
Mint essential oil orally
The essential oil of peppermint is a highly concentrated natural oil and active ingredients extracted from the leaves and plant parts of mint with an extraction technique in the vapor stream.
The peppermint essential oil can be used effectively. for the treatment of symptoms related to ingestion, nausea and to relieve cold symptoms.
It has also been shown to be effective in helping to soothe the discomfort associated with irritable bowel syndrome.
Hence, it is effective against
- Cold symptoms
- Symptoms of indigestion
- For the treatment of nausea
- To counteract irritable bowel syndrome
To ensure safe intake, we recommend that you consult your doctor.
The essential oil of peppermint, orally, should be taken in small doses. Usually 2-3 drops of essential oil are mixed with half a cup of drinking water to treat any of the symptoms described above.
Where to buy peppermint essential oil for internal use
The essential oils for food use, are harder to find than traditional oils for outdoor use. The reason? Even if the raw material is the same as well as the extraction technique, the supply chain must be more careful and respect the regulations in terms of the product to be taken.
For this reason, essential oils for internal use are more expensive and more difficult to find.
Peppermint essential oil for internal use, contraindications
Peppermint essential oil is “safe” to take by mouth: it is marketed and recommended by several naturopaths. However, this product is not free from contraindications. Among the various side effects reported, we see:
- stomach ache
- hot flashes
- headache
- inflammation of the oral cavity
Among the contraindications and side effects of this essential oil, we see the interactions with certain drugs. Essential oils are rich in active ingredients, i.e. substances which, once ingested, can have biological effects on our body. It is to these active ingredients that we owe all the benefits but contraindications are also linked to them.
The essential oil of peppermint can reduce iron absorption when taken in conjunction with iron supplements. It will be necessary to wait at least 3 hours between taking the iron supplement and taking the essential oil. Conversely, peppermint essential oil for internal use can increase the absorption of quercetin (a flavonoid often taken as a supplement or with fruit).
It can interact with drugs such as valium, diazepam, isoptin, drugs for diabetes, the anticoagulant warfarin and with the more common ibuprofen (Moment, Brufen…). If you are on any drug therapy, it is best to ask your doctor for advice.
