My son is hyper allergic to the ingestion of mint or products containing menthol. When he was a toddler, he went to the emergency room from eating a piece of thin mint candy. A few months later, he went into anaphylactic shock after eating cough drop. After that, we kept an Epi-Pen on hand until he was 14 years old. Around age 4, he broke out in hives after eating mint chocolate chip ice-cream. The Epi-Pen saved the day. It is imperative that physicians ask if someone has any mint allergies when prescribing a formula containing Bo He.
Photos (Click to enlarge)
Field Mint; Mentha arvensis; Michael Becker [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)]
Spearmint; Mentha spicata var. viridis; H. Zell [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]
Peppermint; H. Zell [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]
Water mint; Mentha aquatica; Andreas Eichler [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]
Asian Mint; Menta Asiatica; I, Doronenko [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)]
Mentha Haplocalyx; I, Doronenko [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)]
Fun Facts
Other Names: Mentha Haplocalyx • Mentha Arvensis • Spearmint • Mentha Spicata • Wild Mint • Field mint • Peppermint • Mentha Piperita • Su Bo He • Common Mint • Watermint • Bo He Ye • Bo He Geng Plant Family: Labiatae
Field Mint is listed in the following pharmacopeias: Yao Xing Ben Cao • German Commission E • World Health Organization • Martindale Extra Pharmacopoeia • ESCOP
Species
True mints (non-hybrid) are used to extract menthol. Mentha arvensis and mentha haplocalyx are referenced most in TCM. There are over 25 species of mint. Below are the most popular:
Mentha haplocalyx Briq does not seem to have a common name but is the species listed in several Chinese Materia Matica books.
Mentha aquatica (Water Mint)
Mentha arvensis (Field Mint)
Mentha asiatica (Asian Mint)
Mentha piperita (Peppermint) is a hybrid of Mentha aquatica and Mentha spicata
Cang Er Zi San • Chai Hu Qing Gan Tang • Chuan Xiong Cha Tiao San • Fang Feng Tong Sheng San • Gan Lu Xiao Du Dan • Jia Jian Wei Rui Tang • Liang Ge San • Pu Ji Xiao Du Yin • Ren Shen Bai Du San • Sang Ju Yin • Yang Yin Qing Fei Tang • Yin Qiao San
Alert
Be cautious with all medicine.
Overdose of peppermint oil can be hepatotoxic and nephrotoxic. One case was reported of a woman comatosed by ingestion overdose.
May cause insufficient lactation during breast feeding periods.
Peppermint oil may have a grapefruit affect where it inhibits CYP3A4 activity in the body and therefore can impact the absorption of certain medication.
Potential Drug Interactions
Herbal medicine may interact negatively with pharma drugs and other herbs. Examples below:
Herbs:
Pharma Drugs:Grapefruit effect: High blood pressure medication • Seizure medication • Antibiotics • Iron supplements • Low stomach acid • Immune system suppressors
Information in this post came from many sources, including class notes, practitioners, websites, webinars, books, magazines, and editor's personal experience. While the original source often came from historical Chinese texts, variations may result from the numerous English translations. Always consult a doctor prior to using these drugs. The information here is strictly for educational purposes.
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