Hair loss can be a distressing condition for both, males and females. It is associated with a multitude of natural, medical, or nutritional conditions.
For example, androgenetic alopecia in men, or male pattern baldness, is increasingly recognized as a physically and psychologically serious medical condition that often requires a professional care by generalist clinicians. [1]
USA FDA has only permitted two products for hair loss treatment and they are Proscar ® and Rogaine ®. However, Rogaine ® was warned to have multiple side effects by its very manufacturers Upjohn Pharmaceuticals. These include increased heart rate, difficulty breathing, rapid weight gain, scalp itching, scaling etc. This makes it impractical for consumption for some people.
Peppermint, Mentha piperita, is a plant indigenous to Europe and Middle East. It is found wild occasionally with its parent species. The concentrated oil of peppermint has high menthol content.
This plant has been widely used as a carminative and gastric stimulant worldwide.
Peppermint Oil
Peppermint is a hybrid of both spearmint and water mint. The peppermint plant contains over 40 distinct chemical compounds but the principal ingredient of peppermint oil, menthol, is primarily responsible for its beneficial effects.
In vitro , peppermint has been reported to show anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antifungal activities as well as strong antioxidant activity, and antiallergenic and antitumor actions [2].
Its consumption safety was proven in toxicological investigations [3].
Peppermint oil has a fresh, sharp, menthol smell, is clear to pale yellow in color and watery in viscosity.
Hair growth
Traditional plant remedies have been used for centuries in the treatment for hair loss, but only a few have been scientifically evaluated. Peppermint oil can stimulate hair growth and help with baldness by increasing the rate of blood circulation.
A study conducted on rats showed prominent hair growth effects by peppermint oil along with a significant increase in dermal thickness, follicle number, and follicle depth without any effect on body weight gain and food efficiency [1].
Tip: Peppermint oil is quite potent and requires a carrier oil such as castor oil, coconut oil or jojoba oil for application on your scalp.Other Benefits
Many other studies have been conducted on peppermint oil which shows positive results regarding its impacts on physiology of humans.
Improved Exercise Performance
Enhancing athletic performance is a great desire among the athletes and coaches. Peppermint oil has shown to improve muscle action and hence improved exercise performance. An experiment conducted supported the effectiveness of peppermint essential oil on the exercise performance, gas analysis, spirometry parameters, blood pressure, and respiratory rate in the young male students. Relaxation of bronchial smooth muscles increase in the ventilation and brain oxygen concentration and decrease in the blood lactate levels are the most plausible explanations [4].
Peppermint aroma is also thought to be effective on perceived physical workload, temporal workload, effort, and anxiety.
Allergic Rhinitis
Allergic rhinitis, also known as hay fever, is a type of inflammation in the nose which occurs when the immune system overreacts to allergens in the air.
A study conducted on rats suggested that extracts of peppermint may be clinically effective in alleviating the nasal symptoms of allergic rhinitis [5].
Dental Health
Peppermint is used in making toothpastes for cleaning teeth as it can provide freshness in breath and keep away bad breath.
More studies are being done as to whether or not it directly contributes to preventing caries and plaque, however it is confirmed that it does create an unfavorable environment for bacteria [6].
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Peppermint oil is a safe and effective short-term treatment for IBS [7]. A study was conducted to test the effectiveness of enteric-coated peppermint oil in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. It showed that after 4 weeks treatment with peppermint oil improved abdominal symptoms in patients with irritable bowel syndrome [8].
The therapeutic dosage range studied in most IBS trials was 0.2 to 0.4 mL of peppermint oil taken three times daily in enteric-coated capsules [9].
Tension Headaches
Tension-type headache is the most frequent form of headache.
The local topical treatment with peppermint oil has proven to be significantly more effective than placebo in controlled studies [10].
In a study a significant analgesic effect with a reduction in sensitivity to headache was produced by a combination of peppermint oil and ethanol [11]. It is regarded as a standard treatment for the acute therapy of tension-type headaches.
Tip: External uses of peppermint oil is usually safe however just like any other essential oils you should always dilute it in a carrier oil such as olive oil or coconut oil before applying on your skin.Dyspepsia
Peppermint is used for treatment of non-obstructive dyspepsia without any known side effects. A study conducted showed that the combination preparation consisting of peppermint oil and caraway, oil appears to be comparable with cisapride and provides an effective means for treatment of functional dyspepsia [12]. Another study showed good tolerability and effective results for the treatment of functional dyspepsia through the use of combination of peppermint oil and caraway oil [13]. The trials for dyspepsia used a dose of 90 mg of peppermint oil in combination with 50 mg of caraway oil in a specific standardized preparation that is not currently available in the United States [9].
For external uses only I use the below amazon peppermint oil from Plant Therapy and found to be really helpful with my headaches and colds. Please do not use this oil internally unless the manufacturer suggests it on the bottle. For internal uses shop for a food grade organic peppermint oil.
Side Effects
Potentially toxic compounds in peppermint include pulegone. [6]
Numerous allergic contact dermatitis reactions to peppermint oil have been described, many of which are linked to both perioral and intraoral disorders.
Its side effects are claimed to be usually mild and minimally toxic
such as gastro esophageal reflux, heartburns, nausea, vomiting, allergic reactions and diarrhea [14]
Peppermint oil had been previously reported to be hepatotoxic [3] and nephrotoxic [9]. Hepatotoxicity is attributed to the presence of pulegone.
Conclusion
Majority of evidence indicates that peppermint oil may be modestly effective in relieving ailments such as IBS, dyspepsia, baldness, and headaches etc. Peppermint has been used in cosmetic formulations, as a source of fragrance and skin conditioning agents.
It has many therapeutic properties but still care should be taken about its dosage.
Peppermint oil should only be used at the recommended doses because significant toxicity can occur at higher doses. Even the recommended medicinal doses of peppermint oil should not be used in infants or very young children or in women who are pregnant or lactating. [9]
References
| [1] | J. Y. O. M. A. P. and . Y. C. K. , "Peppermint Oil Promotes Hair Growth without Toxic Signs," Toxicological Research, 2014. |
| [2] | C. K. and K. D. , "Herbal remedies in gastroenterology.," Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology, 2005. |
| [3] | N. B, "Final report on the safety assessment of Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Leaf Extract, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Leaf, and Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Leaf Water.," International Journal of toxicology, 2001. |
| [4] | A. M. and . A. R. , "The effects of peppermint on exercise performance," Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2013. |
| [5] | I. T. S. Y. . M. H. and K. C. , "Effects of peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) extracts on experimental allergic rhinitis in rats.," Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin, 2001. |
| [6] | A. Balakrishnan, "Therapeutic Uses of Peppermint –A Review," Journal of Phramaceutical Sciences and Research, 2015. |
| [7] | K. R. . M. J. and L. B. , "Peppermint oil for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.," Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology, 2014. |
| [8] | C. G. S. M. G. L. . M. L. and . M. L. , "Peppermint oil (Mintoil) in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: a prospective double blind placebo-controlled randomized trial.," Digestive and Liver Disease, 2007. |
| [9] | K. B. and . C. S. , "Peppermint oil.," American Family Physician, 2007. |
| [10] | G. H. H. A. H.-K. K. G. A. and . G. C. , "Peppermint oil in the acute treatment of tension-type headache," Pain, 2016. |
| [11] | G. H. . S. G. and S. D. , "Effect of peppermint and eucalyptus oil preparations on neurophysiological and experimental algesimetric headache parameters.," Cephalalgia, 1994. |
| [12] | M. A. . H. C. W. V. H. R. and H. J. , "Treatment of functional dyspepsia with a fixed peppermint oil and caraway oil combination preparation as compared to cisapride. A multicenter, reference-controlled double-blind equivalence study.," Drug Research, 1999. |
| [13] | M. B. K. S. and S. B. , "Efficacy and tolerability of a fixed combination of peppermint oil and caraway oil in patients suffering from functional dyspepsia.," Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 2000. |
| [14] | S. S. N. C. P. and . D. R. , "A near fatal case of high dose peppermint oil ingestion- Lessons learnt," Indian Journal of Anaesthesia, 2012. |
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