View source for Peppermint

{{Short description|Hybrid flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2025}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Pfefferminze natur peppermint.jpg
| genus = Mentha
| species = × piperita
| authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|L.]]
| synonyms = {{hidden begin|title = List}} 
* ''Mentha × odora'' <small>Salisb.</small>
* ''Mentha × balsamea'' <small>Willd.</small>
* ''Mentha × banatica'' <small>Heinr.Braun</small>
* ''Mentha × braousiana'' <small>Pérard</small>
* ''Mentha × concinna'' <small>Pérard</small>
* ''Mentha × crispula'' <small>Wender.</small>
* ''Mentha × durandoana'' <small>Malinv. ex Batt.</small>
* ''Mentha × exaltata'' <small>Heinr.Braun</small>
* ''Mentha × fraseri'' <small>Druce</small>
* ''Mentha × glabra'' <small>Bellardi ex Colla</small>
* ''Mentha × glabrata'' <small>Vahl</small>
* ''Mentha × hercynica'' <small>Röhl.</small>
* ''Mentha × heuffelii'' <small>Heinr.Braun</small>
* ''Mentha × hircina'' <small>Hull</small>
* ''Mentha × hircina'' <small>J.Fraser</small>
* ''Mentha × hirtescens'' <small>Haw. ex Spach</small>
* ''Mentha × hortensis'' <small>Ten.</small>
* ''Mentha hortensis'' var. ''citrata'' <small>Ten.</small>
* ''Mentha × hudsoniana'' <small>Heinr.Braun</small>
* ''Mentha × kahirina'' <small>Forssk.</small>
* ''Mentha × langii'' <small>Geiger ex T.Nees</small>
* ''Mentha × napolitana'' <small>Ten.</small>
* ''Mentha × nigricans'' <small>Mill.</small>
* ''Mentha × officinalis'' <small>Hull</small>
* ''Mentha × pimentum'' <small>Nees ex Bluff & Fingerh.</small>
* ''Mentha × piperoides'' <small>Malinv.</small>
* ''Mentha × schultzii'' <small>Boutigny ex F.W.Schultz</small>
* ''Mentha × tenuis'' <small>Frank ex Benth.</small>
{{hidden end}}
}}

'''Peppermint''' ('''''Mentha'' × ''piperita''''') is a [[Hybrid (biology)|hybrid]] species of [[Mentha|mint]], a cross between [[Mentha aquatica|watermint]] and [[spearmint]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Frampton|first=Alex|title=The Complete Illustrated Book of Herbs|publisher=[[Trusted Media Brands|The Reader's Digest Association]]|year=2011|oclc=748502326}} [[iarchive:ACompleteBookOfHerbs-ReadersDigest/mode/2up|Archived]] on 6 April 2017.</ref> Indigenous to Europe and the Middle East,<ref>{{cite web |title= Peppermint |url= https://www.botanical-online.com/english/peppermint.htm |publisher= Botanical Online |access-date= 19 March 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180319213600/https://www.botanical-online.com/english |archive-date= 19 March 2018 }}</ref> the plant is now widely spread and cultivated in many regions of the world.<ref name= empp>Euro+Med Plantbase Project: [https://ww2.bgbm.org/_EuroPlusMed/PTaxonDetail.asp?NameId=114331&PTRefFk=500000 ''Mentha'' × ''piperita''] [[Botanischer Garten Berlin]] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120309180913/https://ww2.bgbm.org/_EuroPlusMed/PTaxonDetail.asp?NameId=114331&PTRefFk=500000 |date=9 March 2012}}</ref> It is occasionally found in the wild with its parent species.<ref name= empp/><ref name=fnwe>{{cite web|editor1=C. Stace|editor2=R. van der Meijden|editor3=I. de Kort|url=https://ip30.eti.uva.nl/BIS/flora.php?selected=beschrijving&menuentry=soorten&id=3522|title=''Mentha'' × ''piperita''|website=[[Universiteit van Amsterdam]]|access-date=21 February 2022|archive-date=19 September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090919025128/https://ip30.eti.uva.nl/BIS/flora.php?selected=beschrijving&menuentry=soorten&id=3522|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Although the genus ''Mentha'' comprises more than 25 species, the one in most common use is peppermint.<ref name= "Mimica-Dukic 2008 3141–3150">{{Cite journal |last1=Mimica-Dukic|first1=N. |last2= Bozin|first2=B.|date=2008|title= Mentha L. species (Lamiaceae) as promising sources of bioactive secondary metabolites |journal=[[Current Pharmaceutical Design]]|volume= 14|issue=29|pages=3141–50|issn= 1873-4286|pmid=19075696|doi= 10.2174/138161208786404245}}</ref> While Western peppermint is derived from ''Mentha ×  piperita'', Chinese peppermint, or ''bohe'', is derived from the fresh leaves of ''M. haplocalyx''.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Dong|first1=Wenjiang|last2= Ni |first2=Yongnian|last3=Kokot|first3= Serge |date=February 2015|title= Differentiation of mint (Mentha haplocalyx Briq.) from different regions in China using gas and liquid chromatography|journal= [[Journal of Separation Science]]|volume= 38|issue=3|pages=402–9|doi= 10.1002/jssc.201401130|issn=1615-9314|pmid= 25431171}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url= https://www.itmonline.org/arts/mentha.htm |title= Mentha and Schizonepeta |website= ITM online |access-date= 2019-01-06 |archive-date= 2018-12-26 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181226025305/https://www.itmonline.org/arts/mentha.htm |url-status= live }}</ref><ref>{{Citation|last1=Zhang |first1= Feng |title=Mentha haplocalyx Briq. 薄荷 (Bohe, Mint)|date=2015|work=Dietary Chinese Herbs|pages=631–6|publisher= Springer | place = Vienna|isbn= 978-3-211-99447-4 |last2=Lu|first2=Yin|last3= Qian|first3=Wenhui|last4=Pei |first4= Zifan|doi= 10.1007/978-3-211-99448-1_72}}</ref> ''M. ×  piperita'' and ''M. haplocalyx'' are both recognised as plant sources of [[menthol]] and [[menthone]], and are among the oldest herbs used for both culinary and medicinal products.<ref name="Mimica-Dukic 2008 3141–3150"/><ref>{{Cite book|title=Principles and practice of phytotherapy: modern herbal medicine|first1=Kerry|last1=Bone |date= 2013 |publisher=Churchill Livingstone| last2 = Mills | first2 = Simon Y. |isbn= 978-0-44306992-5|edition= 2nd|location= Edinburgh|oclc= 830314789}}</ref>

==Botany==
[[File:Mentha-piperita.JPG|thumb|right|200px|Peppermint flowers]]
[[File:Mentha × piperita - Köhler–s Medizinal-Pflanzen-095.jpg|thumb|right|200px|An 1887 illustration from Köhlers;'' Medicinal Plants'']]

Peppermint was first identified in Hertfordshire, England, by a Dr. Eales, a discovery which John Ray published 1696 in the second edition of his book ''Synopsis Methodica Stirpium Britannicarum''. He initially gave it the name ''Mentha spicis brevioribus et habitioribus, foliis Mentha fusca, sapore fervido piperis'' and later in his 1704 volume ''Historia Plantarum'' he called it ''Mentha palustris'' or Peper–Mint. The plant was then added to the London ''Pharmacopoeia'' under the name ''Mentha piperitis sapore'' in 1721.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ray |first=John |title=Synopsis Methodica Stirpium Britannicarum |year=1696 |page=234}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Flückiger |first=Friedrich August |title=Pharmacographia: A History of the Principal Drugs of Vegetable Origin, met with in Great Britain and British India |publisher=Macmillan |year=1874 |pages=481–2}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Bacon |first=F. J. |date=1928 |title=The Botanical Origin of American Peppermint—Mentha Piperita L* |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0898140X15367884 |journal=[[Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association]] (1912) |language=en |volume=17 |issue=11 |pages=1094–1096 |doi=10.1002/jps.3080171108 |issn=0898-140X|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Porter |first=C. L. |date=1951 |title=The History of Mentha piperita and Its Economic Importance in Indiana |url=https://journals.iupui.edu/index.php/ias/article/download/5809/5793 |journal=[[Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science]] |volume=61 |pages=364–268}}</ref> 

It was given the name ''Mentha piperita'' in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus in his ''Species Plantarum'' Volume 2.<ref name="cl">Linnaeus, C. (1753). ''[[Species Plantarum]]'' 2: 576–577.</ref>  Linnaeus treated peppermint as a [[species]], but it is now agreed to be a hybrid between ''[[Mentha aquatica]]'' and ''[[Mentha spicata]]'',<ref name="POWO">{{cite web | title=Plants of the World Online | website=Plants of the World Online | date=2018-08-13 | url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:450969-1 | access-date=2025-07-24}}</ref> with ''M. spicata'' itself also being considered by some authors to be a hybrid between ''[[Mentha longifolia]]'' and ''[[Mentha suaveolens]]''.<ref name="Mspicata">{{cite web | title=Spear Mint ''Mentha spicata'' L. | website=PlantAtlas | url=https://plantatlas2020.org/atlas/2cd4p9h.vna | access-date=2025-07-24}}</ref>

Peppermint is a [[herbaceous]], rhizomatous, [[perennial plant]] that grows to be {{convert|30|-|90|cm|in|abbr=on}} tall, with smooth stems, square in cross section. The [[rhizome]]s are wide-spreading and fleshy, and bear fibrous [[root]]s. The [[leaf|leaves]] can be {{convert|4|-|9|cm|in|abbr=on}} long and {{convert|1.5|-|4|cm|in|abbr=on}} broad. They are dark green with reddish veins, with an acute apex and coarsely toothed margins. The leaves and stems are usually slightly fuzzy. The [[flower]]s are purple, {{convert|6|-|8|mm|in|abbr=on}} long, with a four-lobed [[Corolla (flower)|corolla]] about {{convert|5|mm|in|abbr=on}} diameter; they are produced in whorls (verticillasters) around the stem, forming thick, blunt spikes. Flowering season lasts from mid- to late summer.<ref name=rhs>{{cite book | last=Huxley | first=Anthony | title=Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening | publisher=Macmillan Press ; Stockton Press | publication-place=London : New York | date=1992 | isbn=1-56159-001-0 |volume=3 | page=220}}</ref><ref name=blamey>{{cite book | last1=Blamey | first1=Marjorie | last2=Grey-Wilson | first2=C. | title=The Illustrated Flora of Britain and Northern Europe | publisher=Lubrecht & Cramer Limited | publication-place=London | date=1989-01-01 | isbn=0-340-40170-2 | page=344}}</ref> The [[chromosome]] number is variable, with 2n counts of 66, 72, 84, and 120 recorded.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://oilsesense.com/pages/mentha-x-piperita-peppermint-flora-of-northwest-europe|title=Mentha x piperita - Peppermint - Flora of Northwest Europe|date=2014|access-date=29 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141229212600/https://oilsesense.com/pages/mentha-x-piperita-peppermint-flora-of-northwest-europe|archive-date=29 December 2014}}</ref> Peppermint is a fast-growing plant, spreading quickly once it has sprouted.

==Ecology==
Peppermint typically occurs in moist habitats, including stream sides and drainage ditches. Being a hybrid, it is usually [[infertility|sterile]], producing no [[seed]]s and reproducing only [[vegetative reproduction|vegetatively]], spreading by its [[Stolon|runners]].<ref name=fnwe/><ref name=blamey/>

Outside of its native range, areas where peppermint was formerly grown for oil often have an abundance of feral plants, and it is considered [[invasive species|invasive]] in Australia, the [[Galápagos Islands]], New Zealand,<ref name=pier>Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk: [https://www.hear.org/pier/species/mentha_x_piperita.htm ''Mentha'' x ''piperita''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220119060402/https://www.hear.org/Pier/species/mentha_x_piperita.htm |date=2022-01-19 }}</ref> and the United States<ref name=usda>{{PLANTS|symbol=MEPI|taxon=Mentha ×piperita L. (pro sp.) [aquatica × spicata]|access-date=7 June 2022}}</ref> in the [[Great Lakes]] region, noted since 1843.<ref>{{cite web |title= List of invasive species in the Great Lakes Great Lakes United / Union Saint-Laurent Grands Lacs |url= https://www.glu.org/en/node/199 |access-date= 2009-02-07 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090429205753/https://www.glu.org/en/node/199 |archive-date= 2009-04-29 }}</ref>

==Cultivation==
Peppermint generally grows best in moist, shaded locations, and expands by underground rhizomes. Young shoots are taken from old stocks and [[dibber|dibbled]] into the ground about 0.5&nbsp;m (1.5&nbsp;ft) apart.  They grow quickly and cover the ground with runners if it is permanently moist.  For the home gardener, it is often grown in containers to restrict rapid spreading. It grows best with a good supply of water, without being waterlogged, and planted in areas with partial sun to shade.

The leaves and flowering tops are used; they are collected as soon as the flowers begin to open and can be dried. The wild form of the plant is less suitable for this purpose, with cultivated plants having been selected for more and better oil content. They may be allowed to lie and wilt a little before distillation, or they may be taken directly to the still.

=== Cultivars ===
Several [[cultivar]]s have been selected for garden use:

* ''Mentha'' × ''piperita'' 'Candymint' has reddish stems.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Herbarist|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4cZJAAAAYAAJ|access-date=24 July 2013|year=1997|publisher=Herb Society of America.|page=39|archive-date=10 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610185648/https://books.google.com/books?id=4cZJAAAAYAAJ|url-status=live}}</ref>
* ''Mentha'' × ''piperita'' 'Chocolate Mint'. Its flowers open from the bottom up; its flavour is reminiscent of the flavour in [[Andes Chocolate Mints]], a popular confection.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mountainvalleygrowers.com/menpiperitachocolate.htm |title=''Mentha piperita'' cv. Chocolate Mint |publisher=Mountainvalleygrowers.com |access-date=2013-07-24 |archive-date=2013-04-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130402163951/https://www.mountainvalleygrowers.com/menpiperitachocolate.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Rovira2008">{{cite book|author=Dolf De Rovira|title=Dictionary of Flavors|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=avYMy82EBuAC&pg=PA420|access-date=24 July 2013|date=28 February 2008|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-0-470-38484-8|pages=420–|archive-date=27 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160427011425/https://books.google.com/books?id=avYMy82EBuAC&pg=PA420|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://hortiplex.gardenweb.com/plants/p1/gw1091144.html |title=Mentha x piperita 'Chocolate Mint': peppermint |publisher=Hortiplex.gardenweb.com |date=2007-09-12 |access-date=2013-07-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006175843/https://hortiplex.gardenweb.com/plants/p1/gw1091144.html |archive-date=2014-10-06 }}</ref>
* ''Mentha'' × ''piperita'' 'Citrata' includes a number of varieties including [[Eau de Cologne mint]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://hortiplex.gardenweb.com/plants/p1/gw1025619.html |title=Mentha x piperita 'Citrata': eau de cologne mint |publisher=Hortiplex.gardenweb.com |date=2007-09-12 |access-date=2013-07-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006174814/https://hortiplex.gardenweb.com/plants/p1/gw1025619.html |archive-date=2014-10-06 }}</ref> grapefruit mint, lemon mint,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://hortiplex.gardenweb.com/plants/p1/gw1025621.html |title=Mentha x piperita var. citrata: lemon mint |publisher=Hortiplex.gardenweb.com |date=2007-09-12 |access-date=2013-07-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140728095336/https://hortiplex.gardenweb.com/plants/p1/gw1025621.html |archive-date=2014-07-28 }}</ref> and orange mint. Its leaves are aromatic and hairless.
* ''Mentha'' × ''piperita'' 'Crispa' has wrinkled leaves.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://hortiplex.gardenweb.com/plants/p1/gw1091140.html |title=Mentha x piperita 'Crispa': eau de cologne mint |publisher=Hortiplex.gardenweb.com |date=2007-09-12 |access-date=2013-07-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006174224/https://hortiplex.gardenweb.com/plants/p1/gw1091140.html |archive-date=2014-10-06 }}</ref>
* ''Mentha'' × ''piperita'' 'Lavender Mint'<ref>{{cite web |url=https://hortiplex.gardenweb.com/plants/p1/gw1091143.htmlburl |title=HortiPlex Plant Database: Info, Images and Links on Thousands of Plants |publisher=Hortiplex.gardenweb.com |access-date=2013-07-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006174816/https://hortiplex.gardenweb.com/plants/p1/gw1091143.htmlburl |archive-date=2014-10-06 }}</ref>
* ''Mentha'' × ''piperita'' 'Lime Mint' has lime-scented foliage.<ref>{{cite book|title=Harrowsmith Country Life|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=255LAAAAYAAJ|access-date=24 July 2013|year=1990|publisher=Camden House Pub.|page=48|archive-date=5 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505071333/https://books.google.com/books?id=255LAAAAYAAJ|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://hortiplex.gardenweb.com/plants/p1/gw1091141.html |title=''Mentha'' x ''piperita'' 'Lime Mint': eau de cologne mint |publisher=Hortiplex.gardenweb.com |date=2007-09-12 |access-date=2013-07-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006180117/https://hortiplex.gardenweb.com/plants/p1/gw1091141.html |archive-date=2014-10-06 }}</ref>
* ''Mentha'' × ''piperita'' 'Variegata' has mottled green and pale yellow leaves.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://hortiplex.gardenweb.com/plants/p1/gw1091142.html |title=''Mentha'' x ''piperita'' 'Variegata': variegated mint |publisher=Hortiplex.gardenweb.com |date=2007-09-12 |access-date=2013-07-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006180119/https://hortiplex.gardenweb.com/plants/p1/gw1091142.html |archive-date=2014-10-06 }}</ref>

Commercial cultivars may include:
* Dulgo pole<ref name=seof>{{cite web  | last = Stanev  | first = S.  | author2 = V. D. Zheljazkov  | title = Study on essential oil and free menthol accumulation in 19 cultivars, populations, and clones of peppermint (''Mentha'' × ''piperita'')  | url = https://www.actahort.org/books/629/629_21.htm  | access-date = 6 June 2009  | archive-date = 26 August 2009  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090826214751/https://www.actahort.org/books/629/629_21.htm  | url-status = live  }}</ref>
* Zefir<ref name=seof />
* Bulgarian population #2<ref name=seof />
* Clone 11-6-22<ref name=seof />
* Clone 80-121-33<ref name=seof />
* Mitcham Digne 38<ref name=oppr>{{cite journal |title=An optimising protocol for protoplast regeneration of three peppermint cultivars ( Mentha x piperita) |last1=Jullien |first1=Frédéric |last2=Diemer |first2=Florence |last3=Colson |first3=Monique |last4=Faure |first4=Olivier |journal=Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture |volume=54 |pages=153–9 |year=1998 |doi=10.1023/A:1006185103897 |issue=3|s2cid=26626639 }}</ref>
* Mitcham Ribecourt 19<ref name=oppr />
* 'Todd's Mitcham', a [[verticillium wilt]]-resistant cultivar produced from a breeding and test program of [[atomic gardening]] at [[Brookhaven National Laboratory]] from the mid-1950s<ref name=oppr /><ref name="Craker-et-al-2003">{{cite journal | last1=Craker | first1=Lyle E. | last2=Gardner | first2=Zoë | last3=Etter | first3=Selma C. | title=Herbs in American Fields: A Horticultural Perspective of Herb and Medicinal Plant Production in the United States, 1903 to 2003 | journal=[[HortScience]] | publisher=[[American Society for Horticultural Science]] | volume=38 | issue=5 | year=2003 | issn=0018-5345 | doi=10.21273/hortsci.38.5.977 | pages=977–983 | s2cid=54203253| doi-access=free }}</ref>
* 'Refined Murray', also verticillium-resistant<ref name="Craker-et-al-2003" />
* 'Roberts Mitcham', also verticillium-resistant<ref name="Craker-et-al-2003" /> and also the product of [[mutation breeding]]

=== Diseases ===
[[Verticillium wilt]] is a major constraint in peppermint cultivation. 'Todd's Mitcham', 'Refined Murray', 'Roberts Mitcham' (see above), and a few other cultivars have some degree of [[plant disease resistance|resistance]].<ref name="Craker-et-al-2003" />

{| class="wikitable"  style="float:right; width:12em; text-align:center;"
|+ Peppermint production<br /><small>2022, in tonnes</small><br/>
|-
| {{MAR}} || 42,898
|-
| {{ARG}} || 6,977
|-
| {{MEX}} || 1,173
|-
| '''World''' || '''51,081'''
|-
| colspan="2" | <small>Source: [[FAOSTAT]] of the United Nations<ref name="fao">{{cite web |url=https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QCL |title=Peppermint production in 2022; Production/Crops/Production Quantity from Elements|publisher=UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Statistics Division (FAOSTAT) |date=2024 |access-date=9 September 2024}}</ref></small>
|}

==Production==
In 2022, world production of peppermint was 51,081 [[tonne]]s, led by [[Morocco]] with 84% of the total and [[Argentina]] with 14% (table). 

In the United States, [[Oregon]] and [[Washington (state)|Washington]] produce most of the country's peppermint,<ref name="osu">{{cite web|title=Peppermint|url=https://agsci.oregonstate.edu/coarec/peppermint-0|publisher=Oregon State University, Corvallis; Extension Service|access-date=6 July 2020|date=2020|archive-date=5 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200705232053/https://agsci.oregonstate.edu/coarec/peppermint-0|url-status=live}}</ref> the leaves of which are processed for the [[essential oil]] to produce [[flavouring]]s mainly for [[chewing gum]] and [[toothpaste]].<ref name="pihl">{{cite news|last1=Pihl|first1=Kristi|title=Washington is No. 1 mint oil producer in U.S.|url=https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article32084385.html|newspaper=Tri-City Herald|access-date=26 September 2017|date=24 September 2012|archive-date=26 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170926235913/https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article32084385.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Chemical constituents==
Peppermint has a high menthol content.<ref>{{cite book |title=PDR for Herbal Medicines |edition= 4th |author=Thomson Healthcare |page=640 |year=2007 |publisher= Thomson |isbn=978-1-56363-678-3}}</ref> Dried peppermint typically has 0.3–0.4% of volatile oil containing menthol (7–48%), menthone (20–46%), menthyl acetate (3–10%), [[menthofuran]] (1–17%), and 1,8-[[cineol]] (3–6%).<ref>{{cite book |title=Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients used in food, drugs and cosmetics |url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofco00leun |url-access=registration |first=A. Y. |last=Leung |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |location=New York |year=1980 |page=[https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofco00leun/page/231 231] |isbn=978-0-471-04954-8 }}</ref>

Peppermint contains [[terpenoid]]s and [[flavonoid]]s such as [[eriocitrin]], [[hesperidin]], and [[kaempferol]] 7-O-rutinoside.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Dolzhenko | first1 = Yuliya | last2 = Bertea | first2 = Cinzia M. | last3 = Occhipinti | first3 = Andrea | last4 = Bossi | first4 = Simone | last5 = Maffei | first5 = Massimo E. | year = 2010 | title = UV-B modulates the interplay between terpenoids and flavonoids in peppermint (''Mentha'' × ''piperita L.'') | journal = Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology | volume = 100 | issue = 2| pages = 67–75 | doi = 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2010.05.003 | pmid = 20627615 | hdl = 2318/77560 | hdl-access = free }}</ref>

==Oil==
Peppermint oil has a high concentration of natural pesticides, mainly pulegone (found mainly in "''M. arvensis'' var. ''piperascens''" [= ''[[Mentha canadensis]]''<ref>{{cite web | title=Mentha arvensis var. piperascens Malinv. ex Holmes | website=Plants of the World Online | url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77283045-1 | access-date=2025-08-18}}</ref>],<ref name="Map-Dukes">{{cite web | title=Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases at NAL | website=Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases at NAL | url=https://phytochem.nal.usda.gov/phytochem/plants/show/1286 | access-date=2021-12-13 | archive-date=2021-12-13 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211213171116/https://phytochem.nal.usda.gov/phytochem/plants/show/1286 }}</ref> and to a lesser extent (6,530 ppm) in ''Mentha'' × ''piperita''<ref name="Mxp-Dukes">{{cite web | title=Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases at NAL | website=Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases at NAL | url=https://phytochem.nal.usda.gov/phytochem/plants/show/1292 | access-date=2021-12-13 | archive-date=2021-12-13 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211213171115/https://phytochem.nal.usda.gov/phytochem/plants/show/1292 }}</ref>) and menthone.<ref name="Krieger2001">{{cite book|author=Robert Irving Krieger|title=Handbook of Pesticide Toxicology: Principles|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ib8Qhju9EQEC&pg=PA823|access-date=11 October 2010|year=2001|publisher=Academic Press|isbn=978-0-12-426260-7|page=823|archive-date=9 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131009030221/https://books.google.com/books?id=ib8Qhju9EQEC&pg=PA823|url-status=live}}</ref> It is known to repel some pest insects, including [[mosquito]]s,<ref>{{cite book | title=Industrial Crops and Uses | author=Singh, Bharat P. | year=2010 | publisher=Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I1j2ZtzZXgUC | page=144| isbn=978-1-84593-616-7 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | title=Bioefficacy of Mentha piperita essential oil against dengue fever mosquito ''Aedes aegypti'' L |author1=Kumar, Sarita |author2=Wahab, Naim |author3=Warikoo, Radhika | date=April 2011 | journal=Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine | doi=10.1016/S2221-1691(11)60001-4 | pmc=3609176 | pmid=23569733 | volume=1 | issue=2 | pages=85–8}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | title=Dear Dirt Doctor: Questions Answered the Natural Way | author=Garrett, Howard | year=2003 | publisher=University of Texas Press | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k2rUBAAAQBAJ | page=54| isbn=978-1-4773-0414-3 }}</ref> and has uses in organic gardening{{Citation needed|date=December 2024|reason=''Vague, needs a source and clarification of what use''}}. It is also widely used to repel rodents.{{Citation needed|date=October 2025}}

The chemical composition of the essential oil from ''Mentha'' × ''piperita'' was analysed by [[Flame ionization detector|GC/FID]] and [[Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry|GC-MS]]. The main constituents were [[menthol]] (40.7%) and [[menthone]] (23.4%). Further components are [[cineole|1,8-cineole]] (5.3%), [[Menthyl acetate|(+/-)-Menthyl acetate]] (4.2%), [[iso-Menthone]] (3.7%), [[Menthofurane]] (3.7%), [[neo-Menthol]] (3.2%), [[Limonene]] (2.6%), [[Pulegone]] (1.9%), [[β-Caryophyllene]] (1.7%), [[β-Pinene]] (1.1%), [[Germacrene D]] (0.9%), [[α-Pinene]] (0.7%), and [[Piperitone]] (0.6%). Peppermint oil also contains smaller amounts of many additional compounds <ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Schmidt | first1 = E. | last2 = Bail | first2 = S. | last3 = Buchbauer | first3 = G. | last4 = Stoilova | first4 = I. | last5 = Atanasova | first5 = T. | last6 = Stoyanova | first6 = A. | last7 = Krastanov | first7 = A. | last8 = Jirovetz | first8 = L. | year = 2009 | title = Chemical composition, olfactory evaluation and antioxidant effects of essential oil from ''Mentha'' x ''piperita'' | journal = Natural Product Communications | volume = 4 | issue = 8| pages = 1107–1112 | doi = 10.1177/1934578X0900400819 | pmid = 19768994 | s2cid = 22823187 | doi-access = free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Table 1 : Chemical composition of peppermint oil. |url=https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Chemical-composition-of-peppermint-oil_tbl1_26826417 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250805153404/https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Chemical-composition-of-peppermint-oil_tbl1_26826417 |archive-date=2025-08-05 |access-date=2025-10-09 |website=ResearchGate |language=en |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Research and health effects==
[[File:From 'Street Life in London', 1877, by John Thomson and Adolphe Smith (5780910909).jpg|thumb|right|Peppermint [[throat lozenge]], advertised as "prevention better than cure", sold in London in 1877]]

[[Peppermint oil]] is under preliminary research for its potential as a short-term treatment for [[irritable bowel syndrome]].<ref name=Khanna2014>{{cite journal|vauthors=Khanna R, MacDonald JK, Levesque BG |title=Peppermint oil for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis|journal=Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology|volume=48|issue=6|pages=505–12|date=July 2014|pmid=24100754|doi=10.1097/MCG.0b013e3182a88357|s2cid=22520810}}</ref><ref name=Ruepert2011>{{cite journal|vauthors=Ruepert L, Quartero AO, de Wit NJ, van der Heijden GJ, Rubin G, Muris JW |title=Bulking agents, antispasmodics and antidepressants for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome|journal=Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews|volume=8|issue=8|article-number=CD003460|date=August 2011|pmid=21833945|doi= 10.1002/14651858.CD003460.pub3|pmc=8745618}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ingrosso |first=Maria Rosa |last2=Ianiro |first2=Gianluca |last3=Nee |first3=Judy |last4=Lembo |first4=Anthony J. |last5=Moayyedi |first5=Paul |last6=Black |first6=Christopher J. |last7=Ford |first7=Alexander C. |date=2022-09-01 |title=Systematic review and meta-analysis: efficacy of peppermint oil in irritable bowel syndrome |journal=Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics |volume=56 |issue=6 |pages=932–941 |doi=10.1111/apt.17179 |issn=1365-2036 |pmid=35942669}}</ref> High oral doses of peppermint oil (500&nbsp;mg) can cause mucosal irritation and mimic [[Gastroesophageal reflux disease|heartburn]].<ref name=mlp/><ref name=keifer/>

Peppermint oil and leaves have a cooling effect when used [[topical]]ly for [[myalgia|muscle pain]], [[neuralgia|nerve pain]], relief from [[itch]]ing, or as a fragrance.<ref name=mlp/><ref name="keifer">{{cite journal | last1 = Keifer | first1 = D. | last2 = Ulbricht | first2 = C. | last3 = Abrams | first3 = T. | last4 = Basch | first4 = E. | last5 = Giese | first5 = N. | last6 = Giles | first6 = M. | last7 = DeFranco Kirkwood | first7 = C. | last8 = Miranda | first8 = M. | last9 = Woods | first9 = J. | year = 2007 | title = Peppermint (''Mentha xpiperita''): An evidence-based systematic review by the Natural Standard Research Collaboration | journal = Journal of Herbal Pharmacotherapy | volume = 7 | issue = 2 | pages = 91–143 | doi = 10.1080/j157v07n02_07 | pmid = 18285310 | s2cid = 72889915 | url = https://www.researchgate.net/publication/5567494 | access-date = 2019-02-19 | archive-date = 2020-07-28 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200728044214/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/5567494_Peppermint_Mentha_piperita_An_evidence-based_systematic_review_by_the_Natural_Standard_Research_Collaboration | url-status = live }}</ref>

Peppermint oil had supposed uses in ancient [[traditional medicine]] for minor [[gastrointestinal disease]]s.<ref name="mlp">{{cite web|url=https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/peppermint-oil|publisher=National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, US National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD|title=Peppermint oil|date=1 May 2025|access-date=15 August 2025}}</ref>

==Culinary and other uses==
Fresh or dried peppermint leaves are often used alone in [[peppermint tea]] or with other herbs in [[herbal tea]]s (tisanes, infusions). Peppermint is used for flavouring [[ice cream]], [[candy]], [[fruit preserve]]s, [[alcoholic beverage]]s, chewing gum, [[toothpaste]], and some shampoos, [[soap]]s, and skin care products.<ref name=osu/><ref name=pihl/>

Menthol activates cold-sensitive [[TRPM8]] receptors in the skin and mucosal tissues, and is the primary source of the cooling sensation that follows the topical application of peppermint oil.<ref>{{cite journal | author = R. Eccles | title = Menthol and Related Cooling Compounds | journal = [[J. Pharm. Pharmacol.]] | year = 1994 | volume = 46 | pages = 618–630 | pmid = 7529306 | issue = 8 | doi=10.1111/j.2042-7158.1994.tb03871.x| s2cid = 20568911 }}</ref>

<gallery widths="140px" heights="200px">
File:Mint 2014-06-01 00-53.jpg|Peppermint grown in a pot outside a house
File:CSA-Chocolate-Mint.jpg|''Mentha'' × ''piperita'' hybrid known as 'Chocolate Mint'
File:Pfefferminze ies.jpg|Freeze-dried leaves
</gallery>

Peppermint oil is also used in construction and plumbing to test for the tightness of pipes and disclose leaks by its odour.<ref>{{cite book|title=Culinary Herbs: Their Cultivation Harvesting Curing and Uses|year=1912|publisher=Orange Judd Company|url=https://www.gutenberg.org/files/21414/21414-h/21414-h.htm#Page_120|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180408200922/https://www.gutenberg.org/files/21414/21414-h/21414-h.htm#Page_120|author=M. G. Kains|editor=American Agriculturist|archive-date=April 8, 2018|format=English}}</ref>

== Safety ==
Medicinal uses of peppermint have not been approved as effective or safe by the US [[Food and Drug Administration]].<ref name="drugs">{{cite web|title=Peppermint|url=https://www.drugs.com/mtm/peppermint.html|publisher=Drugs.com|access-date=11 November 2017|date=2017|archive-date=12 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171112021213/https://www.drugs.com/mtm/peppermint.html|url-status=live}}</ref>  With caution that the concentration of the peppermint constituent pulegone should not exceed 1% (140&nbsp;mg), peppermint preparations are considered safe by the [[European Medicines Agency]] when used in topical formulations for adult subjects.<ref name="ema">{{cite web|title=Community Herbal Monograph on ''Mentha x piperita'' L., ''aetheroleum''|url=https://www.ema.europa.eu/docs/en_GB/document_library/Herbal_-_Community_herbal_monograph/2010/01/WC500059313.pdf|publisher=Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products, European Medicines Agency|access-date=11 November 2017|date=31 October 2007|archive-date=18 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171218133441/https://www.ema.europa.eu/docs/en_GB/document_library/Herbal_-_Community_herbal_monograph/2010/01/WC500059313.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|pmid=11766133|year=2001|last1=Nair|first1=B|title=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|journal=International Journal of Toxicology|volume=20 Suppl 3|issue=4|pages=61–73|doi=10.1080/10915810152630747}}</ref> Diluted peppermint essential oil is safe for oral intake when only a few drops are used.<ref name=mlp/><ref name=ema/>

Although peppermint is commonly available as a [[dietary supplement|herbal supplement]],  no established, consistent manufacturing standards exist for it, and some peppermint products may be contaminated with [[toxic metals]] or other substituted compounds.<ref name=drugs/> [[Skin rash]]es, irritation, or [[allergy|allergic reactions]] may result from applying peppermint oil to the skin,<ref name=drugs/> and its use on the face or chest of young children may cause side effects if the oil menthol is inhaled.<ref name=mlp/><ref name=ema/> A common side effect from oral intake of peppermint oil or capsules is [[heartburn]].<ref name=drugs/> Oral use of peppermint products may have [[adverse effect]]s when used with iron supplements, [[cyclosporine]], medicines for heart conditions or high blood pressure, or medicines to decrease stomach acid.<ref name=drugs/>

== Standards ==
* [[ISO 676]]:1995—contains the information about the nomenclature of the variety and cultivars<ref name=scbn>{{cite web  | last = International Organization for Standardization  | author-link = International Organization for Standardization  | title = ISO 676:1995 Spices and condiments -- Botanical nomenclature  | url = https://www.iso.org/iso/iso_catalogue/catalogue_tc/catalogue_detail.htm?csnumber=4844  | access-date = 8 June 2009  | archive-date = 6 June 2011  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110606175926/https://www.iso.org/iso/iso_catalogue/catalogue_tc/catalogue_detail.htm?csnumber=4844  | url-status = live  }}</ref>
* [[ISO 5563]]:1984—a specification for its dried leaves of Mentha piperita Linnaeus<ref name=dpsm>{{cite web  | last = International Organization for Standardization  | author-link = International Organization for Standardization  | title = ISO 5563:1984 Dried peppermint (Mentha piperita Linnaeus)—Specification  | url = https://www.iso.org/iso/catalogue_detail.htm?csnumber=11633  | access-date = 7 June 2009  | archive-date = 6 June 2011  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110606175357/https://www.iso.org/iso/catalogue_detail.htm?csnumber=11633  | url-status = live  }}</ref>
* Peppermint oil—[[ISO 856]]:2006<ref name=opfi>{{cite web  | last = International Organization for Standardization  | author-link = International Organization for Standardization  | title = ISO 856:2008 Oil of peppermint (Mentha x piperita L.)  | url = https://www.iso.org/iso/iso_catalogue/catalogue_tc/catalogue_detail.htm?csnumber=32041  | access-date = 7 June 2009  | archive-date = 6 June 2011  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110606175414/https://www.iso.org/iso/iso_catalogue/catalogue_tc/catalogue_detail.htm?csnumber=32041  | url-status = live  }}</ref>

== See also ==
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}<!-- Please keep entries in alphabetical order. -->
* [[Eucalyptus]]
* [[Peppermint extract]]

{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
{{Wikispecies}}
*{{Commons category-inline|Mentha × piperita|''Mentha × piperita''}}

{{Herbs & spices}}
{{Medicinal herbs & fungi}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q156037}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Mint}}

[[Category:Antiemetics]]
[[Category:Flora of Europe]]
[[Category:Herbs]]
[[Category:Hybrid plants]]
[[Category:Medicinal plants]]
[[Category:Mentha]]
[[Category:Plants described in 1753]]