Sitting in my black swivel desk chair, I turned away from the window and propped my head against my palms, then held my forehead, thinking that would make this pounding headache go away. Negative. As I thought to myself, “This isn’t going to get any better,” I reached for a Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark Square from the treat jar that temps me everyday. Breaking off a piece, I slipped it into my mouth. And then I noticed something, my headache was gone in the same minute!

Here are the health benefits of peppermint:

  • Headaches: A small group of researchers found that peppermint, when applied to the forehead and temples, helped to reduce the symptoms of a tension headache. So just imagine its affects when it is eaten and broken down into the body.
  • Just breathing in the smell of peppermint can soothe and ease headaches, especially those caused by nasal congestion.
  • Bloating: Peppermint relaxes the muscles in your body that allow painful gas from undigested food to pass.
  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): According to University of Maryland Medical
  • Center several studies show, the coating on peppermint capsules can help treat the many symptoms of IBS such as bloating, gas, diarrhea. Nearly 80% of the participants saw the decline of abdominal pain.
  • Appetite: Alan Hirsh of the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, conducted a study finding that people who used inhalers that contained peppermint lost almost five pounds a month. How? The plant has a direct effect on the area of the brain that tells you you’ve had enough to eat.

If you’re interested in incorporating more peppermint into your diet, try these recipes for Peppermint Meltaways, Layered Peppermint Bark, and Wild Peppermint Tea

What do you think?

Do you like peppermint? What are some of your favorite herbal remedies and Christmas treats? Share with us in the comments section below.

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