Brazilian Mint Tea Relieves Pain

A cup of Brazilian mint tea is as effective as many commercial painkillers, according to a recently released English study. The traditional Brazilian herb Hyptis crenata can be used to treat headaches, stomach pain, flu and fever.

A team of researchers at Newcastle University found that the treatment was as effective on mice test subjects as a synthetic aspirin-style drug called Indometacin. Although Brazilian healers have been using the tea as medicine for years, this is the first study to scientifically prove its healing properties. Traditionally, the dried mint leaves were boiled in water for 30 minutes and cooled before being consumed as tea.

The Newcastle team plans to launch clinical trials to further assess how Brazilian mint can relieve pain. “What we have done is to take a plant that is widely used to safely treat pain and scientifically proven that it works as well as some synthetic drugs. Now the next step is to find out how and why the plant works,” lead researcher Graciela Rocha said in a press release.

The study is being published in the journal Acta Horiculturae.

AUTHOR: Annette Hulbert