Why mint is so refreshing

It cools your body down, frees up your airways and improves concentration. Alright, so how does it work?

For millennia, it’s been common knowledge for people in the tropics that the small, lovely leaves of the mint plant are incredibly refreshing even if you just inhale their scent – and the flavour has made mint a huge favourite amongst the ingredients of Asian cuisine.

Mint is also a popular medicinal herb

• It contains vitamin A, B12, C and K
• It’s rich in folic acid, fluoride, iron, selenium and zinc

It can reduce

• Vertigo and sickness
• Distension
• Headaches
• Sour throat
• Inflammation

Is it really cooling or it’s just a trick of the senses?

Spearmint and peppermint are two different species yet the composition of their essential oils is quite similar. Mint affects the part of your brain that’s responsible for your perception of heat – and it causes your brain to tell your body that it’s cold, in fact, that you are cold. Indeed the whole thing is a mind trick well documented by neurobiologists. A mint candy or chewing gum is enough to activate those neurons so every breath and every gulp of drink will feel cooler in your mouth and breathing becomes easier.

The same feeling occurs when your skin comes into contact with mint – the cooling effect is instantaneous. If you have ever tried Coco Chocolate Mint Soap , then you already know what I mean.

Take a dip in the summer!