The word "mint" comes from the Latin mentha. The name was chosen in honor of Minta, one of the nymphs, the Greek goddess of the mountain of the same name, located east of the ancient city of Pylos, which still exists - about 2 thousand people live in it. According to mythology, Minta was turned by Persephone into garden mint because of jealousy for her husband Hades, who made Minta his concubine. So, according to the Greek epic, she "rotated" in the same circle with the gods of death, but, despite this, her name became the name of the healing plant of mint. Contraindications to its use are few, we will talk about them at the very end of the article, and the positive aspects of her "nature" are striking - there are much more of them.
Classification and Appearance
Many plant varieties contain large amounts of menthol. According to modern classification, this is a whole family called Iasnatkovye. A distinctive feature of any mint variety is its characteristic strong aroma. But the chemical composition of individual plants can vary significantly with the metabolism of the released volatile substances. There is a difference in composition in the most obvious way - through the smell.
The Latin name worn by mint is Mentha pulegium. One of its alternative names is flea. The variety grows in North Africa, East Asia, Turkmenistan, the Caucasus, as well as almost the entire territory of Europe. In the Russian Federation you can find this variety in the North Caucasus. Ecological niche - floodplain meadows, as well as river banks. Plant height from 20 to 60 centimeters. The stem has a branched shape, and the leaves are oblong-ovate, petiolate, or elliptical. Flowers are collected by spherical rings. The calyx has triangular-shaped teeth on the upper "lip", and has a subulate shape below. The crown has a pink-purple color, complemented by a white tube. The fruit is ovoid, brown in color, glistens. The flowering period is from July to August. Ripening period from August to September. The leaves of the plant contain 2 percent of the oil, which is 95 percent of the bulletproof, which is a yellow-green or yellow oil. Also in the composition of menthol, dipentene, limonene.
Mint. Properties Contraindications
Mint is used a lot! There are no contraindications for use in perfumery, canning, and confectionery industry, which is what these types of industry use, using the wonderful properties of the plant. It also flavors various drinks, including tea. They use the plant as a spice. Traditional medicine has found the following applications for the plant - wound healing, care for oily skin prone to acne, as an antiseptic, for the treatment of whooping cough, with bronchial asthma and as a sedative. Used in the form of a decoction or tincture.
Here is a list of the effects that mint has. There are significant contraindications, according to the first point - dangerous abortive properties, which will be further mentioned below:
- uterine contractions are stimulated;
- the excitability of the nervous system decreases;
- mucous membranes are irritated;
- redness of the skin due to blood flow;
- runny nose and cough are treated;
- flatulence and intestinal cramps are reduced.
It should be warned about the danger of using this type of mint to terminate a pregnancy - there is a high risk of death, although it was used in traditional medicine for this. In addition, the oil from this variety of peppermint is very toxic and should never be taken orally. Violation of this recommendation can lead to severe damage to the kidneys and liver. One of the symptoms of an overdose is jaundice. Derived plants should be taken in small doses, at short intervals. In case of symptoms, discontinue use immediately. There are strict contraindications to herbal treatment for children under two years of age, but this statement is true for all herbal remedies.
An interesting fact from musical history. Probably everyone knows the famous rock band Nirvana and its legendary vocalist Kurt Cobain. So - the lyrical ballad Pennyroyal Tea, according to one version, is dedicated only to such a plant as marsh mint. Contraindications did not frighten the vocalist of the grunge group at all - he was not an expert on plants. And it really saved the musician from stomach pain. In the song itself, mint, according to this version, symbolized purification.