Spearmint Tea: Does it Really Help to Cure PCOS?

PCOS. The abbreviation that used to incite some fear that the mention of a disease normally does, has now become part of many women’s lives. Sadly, this change has happened over the past few decades because the number of women suffering from Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) has shot up dramatically. Triggered by excess androgens, this disease causes a lot of emotional pain and physical change in women, some even as young as 11-12 years old.

How can PCOS be cured?

While allopathic medicines such as metformin, oestradiol etc can artificially cause the hormones to induce periods, they come with their fair share of side effects such as weight gain, mood swings etc.

Is there any permanent cure to PCOS which has no side effects?

Enter spearmint tea. Multiple studies have proven that this herb does indeed work to reduce testosterone levels in women. There are two forms of testosterone: free testosterone and total testosterone. Free testosterone is the form that contributes to the hirsutism and hormonal acne that PCOS sufferers experience. It can also stimulate some female hormones that can become depleted due to PCOS.

Scientific research has not determined what in spearmint tea lowers testosterone levels, but its effectiveness has been demonstrated in multiple studies.

For women suffering from PCOS, their self esteem takes the biggest hit due to the unnatural weight gain, hormonal acne and excess growth of facial hair. No wonder spearmint tea is a huge hit among them as it promises to cure all these problems if consumed regularly. In fact, the number of women who have sung its praises on social media is frankly so high that you can just not ignore the phenomenon that spearmint tea has become.

Is that all spearmint tea does for me?

Surprisingly, no. Spearmint tea has many more benefits., a few of which we have listed below:

1.       Digestive health: Spearmint is commonly used to help relieve symptoms of indigestion, nausea, vomiting and gas. The compound (-)-carvone, which is naturally found in spearmint, has been shown to strongly inhibit muscle contractions in the digestive tract, which may explain how this herb helps relieve digestive upsets.

2.       Loaded with antioxidants: Spearmint contains a large number of antioxidant compounds, including rosmarinic acid, flavones and flavanones like limonene and menthol. These are found to protect against and repair damage like heart diseases, diabetes and cancer caused by free radicals, which are harmful molecules that can lead to oxidative stress.

3.       Bacterial infections: Spearmint is a commonly used flavouring agent in toothpaste, breath mints and chewing gums because it does more than just freshening your breath — it also has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, which may help kill the bacteria in your mouth that cause bad breath.

How do I include spearmint tea in my daily diet?

This should not be much of a problem, since this minty, sweet drink is a delight to have at any hour of the day and will leave you refreshed. However, the best way to consume it to get the most benefits is to drink it twice or thrice daily after meals. Heat the water and add a spoonful of leaves to it. Simmer on low flame for a few minutes and turn the flame off. Leave the tea to steep for a good 15-20 minutes before you drink it. Enjoy it without milk or sugar.

A word of caution here: do not drink spearmint tea in excess. It may cause problems with absorption of iron.

So now that you know all about the benefits of spearmint tea and how to drink it in the best way, have you brewed yourself a cup yet?