In folk medicine, the phrase "peppermint" is usually understood to mean several varieties of this plant, ranging from wild to those that are cultivated on an industrial scale. In fact, information about the wild is nothing more than a myth. Peppermint was bred artificially by crossing several different species. And the grass that grows in the forest by the stream or in the field is just a plant with a pleasant smell, belonging to the same family, and no more. Therefore, in the season when you need to collect mint, you should not look for it either in the forest or in the clearing.
Beneficial features
As a rule, when prescribing peppermint as a medicinal plant, the content of menthol in its leaves is fundamental. It is used for diseases of the cardiovascular system and gastrointestinal tract. It also has analgesic and antiseptic effects. Peppermint oil is also used in dentistry and cooking, in the manufacture of cosmetics and perfumes. A decoction of its leaves is used as a sedative, they are added to regular tea when brewing, or taken in pure form.
When to pick peppermint
This should be done during the period of maximum content of menthol and oil in the leaves. As a rule, this time comes in the middle of summer at the time of the beginning of flowering plants. Later, when the leaves stop growing, and all the strength of the shoot is directed to the inflorescence, the amount of nutrients is reduced. When grown on an industrial scale in the fields when picking mint, experts decide on the presence of buds. They do this using specialized equipment, after which it is dried naturally for further processing. Oil is extracted from a freshly picked plant, in all other cases, dried raw materials are used.
If mint is grown in small quantities on a personal plot, then it is simply cut with garden shears. In the future, the shoots are bound in several pieces and dried in the open air. It can be stored in this form for up to 2 years, during which all useful properties are preserved. When picking mint in his own garden, everyone decides for himself. Some summer residents generally use it as an ornamental plant, periodically cutting leaves and adding them to tea. In this case, it simply gives a pleasant aroma to the drink and has a light sleeping pill, calming the nervous system. So the content of oil and menthol in it does not play a big role.
In folk medicine, the use of this plant is very common. With the help of it, headache and nausea are relieved, it is used for motion sickness and colds, for pain in the heart and for healing wounds. In general, no matter what happens, mint always saves. When to collect it for various purposes is also important. In order to prepare drops, use a dried plant collected during the flowering period, tea is brewed from it. But from headaches and for wound healing, fresh leaves are suitable at any time of the year.
How to make peppermint drops
It is much easier to purchase them ready-made in a regular pharmacy. Such a drug is inexpensive, so it is quite accessible to anyone. But if you fundamentally cook it at home, then when to pick up mint, the time is right. It is dried, after which it is crushed and filled with medical alcohol per 1 g of grass, 20 g of liquid, after which it is insisted for a day (the container must be shaken periodically). On the second day, filter. To achieve maximum effect, it is recommended to add 40 drops of peppermint oil. The finished drug is consumed by dripping on a refined sugar.
