Indulge and Refresh Your Senses with Spearmint Tea

Spearmint tea is one of the most common forms of herbal tea, right up there with chamomile. Made simply from drying spearmint leaves and then steeping them in hot water, spearmint tea has been with Western civilization since ancient times.

The spearmint plant is Mediterranean in origin, and spearmint tea has been consumed since at least the time of the Roman, who wrote about it as a drink that "stirs the mind."In modern times, spearmint tea is noted for its light aroma and its sharp, refreshing taste. Like all herbal teas, it is also caffeine-free.

Unlike many herbal teas, the taste is still pleasant even after the tea has been put in the refrigerator and chilled for drinking as iced tea.The health benefits of spearmint tea are well-established, as for a long time the tea has been used as a mild aid for digestive problems. Drinking a little mint tea can help with nausea, indigestion and heartburn.

However, the BBC reported in 2007 that the tea is also useful in controlling excessive body hair, or hirsutism. Research in Turkey indicated that drinking two cups of spearmint tea per day reduced levels of male sex hormones in the body, causing a corresponding drop in hair growth on the face, neck, chest and belly.

The problem with spearmint tea is that finding pure spearmint tea can be tricky. Bigelow, Twinings and Lipton, three of the major tea labels on the market with products widely available throughout the world, do not make pure spearmint tea. They sell herbal tea blends with spearmint in them, but not 100% spearmint tea. Blends with green tea or other forms of mint are common.

For 100% spearmint tea, a consumer must go to smaller brands such as Wissotzky, Traditional Medicinals, Oregon Natural or the Tao of Tea. Of course, another alternative is simply to grow your own if you have an herb garden or space for garden pots. Like most mint plants, spearmint is a hardy plant and very easy to grow.

In fact, if you plant it in open ground rather than a pot, you may find it hard to control without regular trimming. With a home spearmint garden, you can cut and dry your own spearmint for spearmint tea. Depending on how much you need, you might be able to furnish all the spearmint required.