However, if you want to use your herbs for some very refreshing tea, and peppermint is your objective, in this case, you have two options: Aside from being used for various culinary applications, from flavoring food to being used for garnish, mint has also been used in both alternative and modern medicine since time immemorial.

Peppermint has purple boxy stems, whereas spearmint is greener. In cooking, peppermint is suited for baking while spearmint is for teas and savory dishes. Spearmint essential oil has had success as a larvicide against mosquitoes. Using spearmint as a larvicide would be a greener alternative to synthetic insecticides due to their toxicity and negative effect to the environment. [34] The following seven types of mint all have one thing in common: they not only smell and taste like mint, but also have a completely different aroma. Lemon mint (Mentha gentilis var. citrata) Are you an indoor gardener? Then I have great news for you! You can grow virtually all mint varieties and cultivars right at home using a good LED grow light—just pay attention to photosynthetically active radiation or PAR! Learn more about this in our article on PAR in grow lights. Medicinal Use of Mint PlantsBuy a peppermint plant in a nursery as this herb is not normally sold as a potted plant in supermarkets

Mahboubi M. Mentha spicata L. essential oil, phytochemistry and its effectiveness in flatulence. J Tradit Complement Med. 2018;11(2):75-81. doi:10.1016/j.jtcme.2017.08.011 Mahendran G, Verma SK, Rahman LU. The traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology of spearmint ( Mentha spicata L.): A review. J Ethnopharmacol. 2021;278:114266. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2021.114266 Spearmint and peppermint, as you might guess from their different flavor, have different nutritional content. Below you can find a table summarising the major nutritional fact for 100g of fresh herb from the SELF Nutrition Data. The numbers above may come as a surprise for many people who are not highly familiar with either mint plants. I am also quite confident that they may be a bit underwhelmed, especially with the figures for the carvone and menthol content of spearmint and peppermint. Often mixed in with other supposedly medicinal plants, mint is taken to treat several ailments including, but not limited to:Grant P. Spearmint herbal tea has significant anti-androgen effects in polycystic ovarian syndrome. a randomized controlled trial. Phytother Res. 2010 Feb;24(2):186-188. doi:10.1002/ptr.2900 Spearmint may help to relieve symptoms of digestive problems, by relaxing the stomach muscles, reducing symptoms of nausea, and other digestive problems. Mentha spicata subsp. condensata (Briq.) Greuter & Burdet – eastern Mediterranean, from Italy to Egypt