I like traditions. So I admit being considerably bothered once I hear Christmas carols on the radio earlier than my turkey dinner is digested. And why do they name the day after Thanksgiving “Black Friday” once I’m nonetheless giving thanks for leftovers?
That mentioned, I do love the vacation season. And as quickly because the turkey soup is made and we’ve devoured up the final of the dressing and cranberry sauce, I’m able to transition from every little thing orange and pumpkin to all issues crimson, inexperienced … and peppermint.
Why peppermint? Some say we began our Christmas obsession with this taste in 1670, when a choirmaster handed out a peppermint-flavored deal with to kids who participated in a residing Nativity scene. Peppermint sweet canes got here a few centuries later.
Moreover getting us within the vacation spirit, are there any well being advantages to consuming peppermint? In response to the Nationwide Middle for Complementary and Integrative Well being (www.nccih.nih.gov), peppermint is a cross between two kinds of herbs — spearmint and water mint. Well being properties have been attributed to its leaves and oil that’s extracted from the leaves and flowering components of the plant.
Like many natural merchandise, nevertheless, analysis on peppermint’s medicinal results is scant. A number of small research counsel peppermint oil capsules could assist relieve tummy ache and presumably some signs of irritable bowel syndrome. Warning although: These capsules have been specifically coated so they might not break down till they reached the small intestines. Straight peppermint oil, say researchers, is more likely to make digestive points worse.