Common Name: peppermint oil
Botanical Name: Mentha x piperita
Family Name: Lamiaceae
Parts Uses: Flower, leaves

This fact sheet provides basic information about peppermint oil uses, potential side effects, and resources for more information. The herbal plant or part of a plant used for its flavor, scent, or potential therapeutic properties. Includes flowers, leaves, bark, fruit, seeds, stems, and roots. Peppermint, a cross between two types of mint (water mint and spearmint), grows throughout Europe and North America.

Peppermint is often used to flavor foods, and the leaves can be used fresh or dried in teas. Peppermint oil has been used for a variety of health conditions, including nausea, indigestion, and cold symptoms. Peppermint oil is also used for headaches, muscle and nerve pain, and stomach and bowel conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome.