Clinical studies have shown that peppermint leaves stimulate bile production and reduce the tendency for bloating and gas in the intestin. Peppermint oil is antibacterial, and the menthol it contains can also have an analgesic and cooling effect. Its effectiveness, however, is weak, which is why natural remedies contain higher levels of essential oils. The most important active ingredients in peppermint are the essential oils, rosmarinic acid, and flavonoids.
General information:
From Wikipedia: “Peppermint (Mentha × piperita, also known as Mentha balsamea Willd.) is a hybrid mint, a cross between watermint and spearmint. Indigenous to Europe and the Middle East, the plant is now widespread in cultivation in many regions of the world. It is occasionally found in the wild with its parent species.”
Production:
“In 2014, world production of peppermint was 92,296 tonnes, led by Morocco with 92% of the world total reported by FAOSTAT of the United Nations. Argentina accounted for 8% of the world total.
In the United States, Oregon and Washington produce most of the country's peppermint, the leaves of which are processed for the essential oil to produce flavorings mainly for chewing gum and toothpaste.”
Culinary and other uses:
“Fresh or dried peppermint leaves are often used alone or with other herbs in herbal teas (tisanes, infusions). Peppermint is used for flavouring ice cream, candy, fruit preserves, alcoholic beverages, chewing gum, toothpaste, and some shampoos, soaps and skin care products.
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.”
Freeze-dried leaves:
“Peppermint oil is also used in construction and plumbing to test for the tightness of pipes and disclose leaks by its odor.”
Peppermint oil:
“Peppermint oil has a high concentration of natural pesticides, mainly pulegone (found mainly in Mentha arvensis var. piperascens cornmint, field mint, Japanese mint, and to a lesser extent (6,530 ppm) in Mentha × piperita subsp. nothosubsp. piperita) and menthone. It is known to repel some pest insects, including mosquitos, and has uses in organic gardening.
The chemical composition of the essential oil from peppermint (Mentha x piperita L.) was analyzed by GC/FID and GC-MS. The main constituents were menthol (40.7%) and menthone (23.4%). Further components were (+/-)-menthyl acetate, 1,8-cineole, limonene, beta-pinene and beta-caryophyllene.”
Research and health effects:
“Peppermint oil is under preliminary research for its potential as a short-term treatment for irritable bowel syndrome and has been used in traditional medicine for a limited number of minor ailments that remain scientifically unconfirmed for effectiveness. Peppermint oil may also act as a carminative, cholagogue, antibacterial, and secretolytic, and it has a cooling action. Externally, peppermint oil has been used for muscle pain, nerve pain and relief from itching.
High doses of peppermint oil (500 mg) can cause mucosal irritation and mimic episodes of heartburn. Usage of peppermint is thought to relax the lower esophageal sphincter, thus causing acid reflux, but a study disproved this theory, making peppermint safe to use as a flavoring in antacid medication.
The aroma of peppermint has been studied for possible memory- and alertness-enhancing properties.”
Toxicology:
“The toxicity studies of the plant have received controversial results. Some authors reported that the plant may induce liver disease, while others found that it protects against liver damage caused by heavy metals. Toxicities of the plant may vary among cultivars and are dose dependent, an effect possibly related to pulegone.
With the limitation that the concentration of pulegone should not exceed 1%, it has been concluded that Mentha × piperita (peppermint) oil, Mentha × piperita (peppermint) extract, Mentha × piperita (peppermint) leaves, Mentha × piperita (peppermint) water are safe as used in cosmetic formulations.
When peppermint oil products are taken with antacid, they dissolve quickly and may cause heartburn and nausea. Due to the menthol constituent, topical use of peppermint oil around the facial or chest areas of infants and young children, especially around the nose, can induce apnea, laryngeal and bronchial spasm, acute respiratory distress with cyanosis, or respiratory arrest.”
Nutrient tables
The complete nutritional information, coverage of the daily requirement and comparison values with other ingredients can be found in the following nutrient tables.
Nutritional Information per 100g
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2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
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Energy | 70 kcal 293 kJ | 3.5% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 2000kcal | |
Fat/Lipids | 0.94 g | 1.3% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 70g | |
Saturated Fats | 0.25 g | 1.2% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 20g | |
Carbohydrates (inc.dietary fiber) | 15 g | 5.5% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 270g | |
Sugars | n/a | ||
Fiber | 8.0 g | 32.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 25g | |
Protein (albumin) | 3.8 g | 7.5% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 50g | |
Cooking Salt (Na:31.0 mg) | 79 mg | 3.3% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 2.4g |
Essential Nutrients per 100g with %-share Daily Requirement at 2000 kcal | |||
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Min | Manganese, Mn | 1.2 mg | 59.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 2.0 mg |
Vit | Folate, as the active form of folic acid (née vitamin B9 and | 114 µg | 57.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 200 µg |
Vit | Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) | 32 mg | 40.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 80 mg |
Min | Iron, Fe | 5.1 mg | 36.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 14 mg |
Min | Copper, Cu | 0.33 mg | 33.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.0 mg |
Elem | Calcium, Ca | 243 mg | 30.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 800 mg |
Elem | Potassium, K | 569 mg | 28.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 2'000 mg |
Vit | Vitamin A, as RAE | 212 µg | 27.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 800 µg |
Prot | Tryptophan (Trp, W) | 0.06 g | 23.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 0.25 g |
Fat | Alpha-Linolenic acid; ALA; 18:3 omega-3 | 0.44 g | 22.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the CH-EDI-Verordnung: 2.0 g |
Detailed Nutritional Information per 100g for this Ingredient
Explanations
The majority of the nutritional information comes from the USDA (US Department of Agriculture). This means that the information for natural products is often incomplete or only given within broader categories, whereas in most cases products made from these have more complete information displayed.
If we take flaxseed, for example, the important essential amino acid ALA (omega-3) is only included in an overarching category whereas for flaxseed oil ALA is listed specifically. In time, we will be able to change this, but it will require a lot of work. An “i” appears behind ingredients that have been adjusted and an explanation appears when you hover over this symbol.
For Erb Muesli, the original calculations resulted in 48 % of the daily requirement of ALA — but with the correction, we see that the muesli actually covers >100 % of the necessary recommendation for the omega-3 fatty acid ALA. Our goal is to eventually be able to compare the nutritional value of our recipes with those that are used in conventional western lifestyles.
Nutritional Information per 100g
Essential fatty acids, (SC-PUFA) |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
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Alpha-Linolenic acid; ALA; 18:3 omega-3 | 0.44 g | 22.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the CH-EDI-Verordnung: 2.0 g |
Linoleic acid; LA; 18:2 omega-6 | 0.07 g | 1.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the CH-EDI-Verordnung: 10 g |
Nutritional Information per 100g
Essential amino acids |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
|
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Tryptophan (Trp, W) | 0.06 g | 23.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 0.25 g |
Threonine (Thr, T) | 0.15 g | 17.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 0.93 g |
Isoleucine (Ile, I) | 0.15 g | 12.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.2 g |
Leucine (Leu, L) | 0.28 g | 12.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 2.4 g |
Phenylalanine (Phe, F) | 0.19 g | 12.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.6 g |
Valine (Val, V) | 0.19 g | 12.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.6 g |
Lysine (Lys, K) | 0.16 g | 9.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.9 g |
Methionine (Met, M) | 0.05 g | 6.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 0.93 g |
Nutritional Information per 100g
Vitamins |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
|
---|---|---|
Folate, as the active form of folic acid (née vitamin B9 and | 114 µg | 57.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 200 µg |
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) | 32 mg | 40.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 80 mg |
Vitamin A, as RAE | 212 µg | 27.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 800 µg |
Riboflavin (vitamin B2) | 0.27 mg | 19.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.4 mg |
Niacin (née vitamin B3) | 1.7 mg | 11.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 16 mg |
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) | 0.13 mg | 9.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.4 mg |
Thiamine (vitamin B1) | 0.08 mg | 7.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.1 mg |
Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) | 0.34 mg | 6.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 6.0 mg |
Vitamin D | 0 µg | < 0.1% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 5.0 µg |
Nutritional Information per 100g
Essential macroelements (macronutrients) |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
|
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Calcium, Ca | 243 mg | 30.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 800 mg |
Potassium, K | 569 mg | 28.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 2'000 mg |
Magnesium, Mg | 80 mg | 21.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 375 mg |
Phosphorus, P | 73 mg | 10.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 700 mg |
Sodium, Na | 31 mg | 4.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 800 mg |
Nutritional Information per 100g
Essential trace elements (micronutrients) |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
|
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Manganese, Mn | 1.2 mg | 59.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 2.0 mg |
Iron, Fe | 5.1 mg | 36.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 14 mg |
Copper, Cu | 0.33 mg | 33.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.0 mg |
Zinc, Zn | 1.1 mg | 11.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 10 mg |
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