"Back to Basics" - Top Ten Single Oils - Peppermint

Today is day three of my series "Back to Basics".



Peppermint

Peppermint oil, also known as Mentha piperita, is extracted from the whole plant through steam distillation and is indigenously grown in Washington state. Peppermint plants are actually a natural hybrid of watermint and spearmint plants. The main chemical component is menthol, which has the ability to trigger cold receptors in the skin giving you a cooling sensation.

Menthol

The primary benefits of peppermint oil include promoting healthy respiratory function*, digestive health*, and a bug repellent. You can Google "peppermint oil repels spiders" and you will find many testimonies about how peppermint oil keeps spiders out of people's homes. I have yet to find any legitimate article that explains why this is the case, but people say it works.

The most common uses for peppermint oil are making toothpaste (my favorite), adding to a smoothie, coffee, or hot chocolate, and inhaling the aroma for a mid-day pick me up. The high level of menthol in peppermint oil can act as a stimulate and refresh your mind when you are mentally exhausted*.

Peppermint Leaf

My favorite way to use peppermint oil is in my homemade toothpaste recipe, which can be found in a previous blog post from September 2015 called "Healing Tooth Decay Naturally (And a toothpaste recipe)." I also love diffusing peppermint and wild orange together as a mid-day, mental pick me up. When I was working on my Master's degree that combination got me through those LONG, BORING reads that you have to do sometimes when in school.

Peppermint can be used aromatically, topically, and internally and it is gentle enough to be used neat (not diluted). If you use essential oils on little kids, you should ALWAYS dilute.

Links:

EO Spotlight: Peppermint

doTERRA Product Page: Peppermint

Buy Peppermint here

Research:

Cruz, A. B., Lee, S. E., Pagaduan, J. C., & Kim, T. H. (2011) Effects of lavender (lavandula angustifolia Mill.) and peppermint (Mentha cordifolia Opiz.) aromas on subjective viatility speed and agility. Asia Life Science-The Asian International Journal of Life Sciences, 21 (1), 31 - 37. http://journals.uplb.edu.ph/index.php/ALS/index

Kondoh, T., Yamada, S., Shioda, S., & Torii, K. (2005). Central olfactory pathway in response to olfactory stimulation in rats detected by magnetic resonance imaging. Chemical Senses, 2(30 Supplement 1), 172 173. doi:10.1093/chemse/bjh169

Norrish, M. I. K., & Dwyer, K. L. (2005). Preliminary investigation of the effect of peppermint oil on an objective measure of daytime sleepiness. International Journal of Psychology, 55(3), 291 - 298. doi:10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2004.08.004

Rajaonarivony, J. I. M. Gershenzon, J., & Croteau, R. (1992). Characterization and mechanism of (4S)-limonene synthase, A monoterpene cyclase from the glandular trichomes of peppermint (Mentha x piperita). Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics, 296(1), 49 - 57. doi:10.1016/0003-9861(92)90543-6

Rios-Estepa, R., Turner G. W., Lee, J. M., Croteau, R. B., & Lange, B.M. (2008). A systems biology approach identifies the biochemical mechanisms regulation monoterpenoid essential oil composition in peppermint. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 105(8), 2818 - 2823. doi:10.1073pnas.0712314105

Satoh, T., & Sugawara, Y. (2003). Effects on human elicited by inhaling the fragrance of essential oils: Sensory test, multi-channel thermometric study and forehead surface potential wave measurement on basil and peppermint. Analytical Sciences, 19(1), 139 - 146. doi:10.2116/analsci.19.139

CAUTIONS: Possible skin sensitivity. Keep out of reach of children. If you are pregnant, nursing, or under a doctor’s care, consult your physician. Avoid contact with eyes, inner ears, and sensitive areas.

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Healing Tooth Decay Naturally (And a toothpaste recipe)

Just a month ago I went to my dentist to get a routine cleaning and walked out with two root canals and crowns! I was so frustrated because I have always been very proud of my teeth and I have worked hard to take care of them. Every time I went to the dentist I asked, “what can I do to prevent tooth decay?” and “why do I have such advanced tooth decay when I do everything you ask of me?” I always brushed twice a day, flossed at night, used mouth wash, and avoided a lot of sugar, but it still was not good enough! Each dentist told me that my tooth decay was caused by genetics. WHAT?!?! So, you are telling me that I am just DOOMED?! That does not seem fair. I decided that enough was enough and I was going to do more research and figure out what I could do on my own.

I came across a book by Ramiel Nagel called Cure Tooth Decay: Heal and Prevent Cavities with Nutrition. He is a well known holistic dentist.

I am telling you, this book changed the way I looked at food forever (in a good way, of course). At the time of my dentist visit I had already shifted to a mostly grain-free diet, but this book further educated me on what else I should cut out and more importantly, what I needed to add to my diet. Honestly, the long and short of it is that we need to ELIMINATE unnatural additives and sugars from our diets. We also need to add more healthy fats, such as grass fed butter, grass fed milk, cage free eggs, bone broth, liver (which I still have not tried), and other land and sea animal organs. I will admit, this is much easier said than done. Our diets in American have shifted away from eating animal organs, which are full of vitamins and minerals needed to remineralize bones.

I could really go on and on and on about this book and about what we should or should not be eating, but I do not want you to feel judged or feel that I am lecturing you. If you want a quick down and dirty about what you can do to help heal tooth decay naturally, I suggest you read this article from Dr. Axe called How to Reverse Cavities Naturally & Heal Tooth Decay.

Another problem with maintaining healthy teeth and lessening fluctuations in our blood chemistry, is the amount of fluoride we consume throughout the day. Another article from Dr. Axe that I suggest you take a look at is Is Fluoride Destroying Your Smile? I started making home made toothpaste after reading all this information and having a traumatizing dentist visit. My teeth feel cleaner and stronger than ever before and my dental hygienist said that my gums looked healthier too!

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My toothpaste recipe comes from WellnessMama.com:

What you will need:

§  5 tablespoons Calcium Carbonate (make sure you get the powder, not capsules)

§  2 tablespoons Baking Soda

§  3 tablespoons Xylitol Powder (so that it isn’t bitter)

§  3 – 5 tablespoons Coconut Oil (for consistency)

§  40 drops Trace Minerals (optional, just adds more minerals)

§  For flavor, 40 drops of one type of essential oil or 20 drops for two different ones. I really like peppermint.

*If you want any oils just let me know and I have get you for them at wholesale price.

§  Add all the dry ingredients into a bowl, then add coconut oil until you get the desired smoothness. Add trace minerals and oils, if desired. All done! 

This will all fit into an 8oz mason jar.

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Grass Fed Butters

I really like Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter. Another one that has many great reviews is 100% Organic Ghee.

Beef Bone Broth

I make my own beef bone broth that I then use in stews, but you can also buy some online. One that is highly rated is from Paleo on the Go Bone Broth. I would rather just make my own because it is cheaper and I love to cook.

By the way, if you are not an Amazon Prime member, I highly recommend it. You can get all the above ingredients with two-day free shipping and there are a lot of other perks!

You can try out the Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial or just sign up for Amazon Prime for $99 a year for non-students and $49 a year for students!