The pennyroyal infusion is one of those infusions that our grandparents were very fond of and that even today remains a good resource to have after dinner when you don’t want a coffee. They usually have it in almost any restaurant and its pleasant flavor is appreciated after a good meal.
However, pennyroyal infusion is much more than that, and is undoubtedly often underutilized. It is known that it’s digestiveand that adds another good reason to take it after eating, but its properties go much further.
Besides we can enhance them combining pennyroyal with other related plants that accentuate certain properties or others.
What is pennyroyal
pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium) is a perennial planterect or lying, up to 50 cm high, very aromatic. Its leaves are opposite, elliptical, covered with fine hairs, and They give off an intense minty fragrance when crushed. The flowers they are colored pale pink and they are grouped in globose and compact whorls in the axils of the leaves.
For medicinal uses the entire plant is collected, which we can find dried for infusion. It contains a essential oil with menthol, pulegone, isopulegone, piperitenone and limonene, as well as bitter principles and tannins.
Formerly it was used as slimming; Taken with wine it was said to act as an antidote to snake bites, and mixed with vinegar, it served to revive after a faint.
Pennyroyal mint: properties and benefits
- The infusions of this plant constitute one of the digestive tonics best known and appreciated.
- Since ancient times it has been a very handy resource for open appetite, promote digestion and combat abdominal pain caused by gastrointestinal spasms and other digestive disorders, such as vomiting and diarrhea.
- It’s a good remedy against gas and flatulenceas well as to eliminate the bad breath
- pennyroyal shows very effective also to promote the secretion of bile and facilitate removal of gallstones.
- It is also used as a remedy to end specific constipation.
- In external application, infusion and essential oilhas been used in popular medicine as a vulnerary and healing on superficial wounds, blisters and non-bleeding scratches.
How to prepare pennyroyal mint
In addition to taking simple pennyroyal infusion after meals to promote digestion, you can make the following combinations to take better advantage of its properties. In fact, in phytotherapy the plant It has been included in many traditional formulas to make digestive herbal teas and laxatives.to which it provides its characteristic menthol aroma.
1. Infusion of pennyroyal with anise for gases
As a carminative formula, it is recommended combine pennyroyal with anise and two antispasmodic plants, chamomile and lemon verbena, in equal parts.
Boil the contents of one level tablespoon per serving of water for one minute and leave it 10 minutes infusion.
It is taken a hot cup after each mealespecially if it has generated slow and heavy digestion.
2. Infusion of pennyroyal and marshmallow for constipation
Pennyroyal is also used as a remedy to end occasional constipationin which case it is combined in equal parts with four plants with recognized laxative virtues such as frangula, psyllium, marshmallow and dandelion.
The equivalent of one level tablespoon of the mixture per cup of water is boiled for 3 minutes, infused for 10 minutes and filtered.
Three glasses are drunk a day, the last minute before going to bed, and is accompanied by a generous consumption of water.
3. Infusion of pennyroyal with feverfew for migraine
To relieve migraines caused by some digestive disorderaffecting the liver or gallbladder, the infusion of pennyroyal with feverfew, ginkgo and dandelionagain in equal parts.
It boils for just a minute and it remains 10 more at rest.
It must be taken twice a day, on an empty stomachmid-morning and mid-afternoon, until the discomfort disappears.
To disguise the taste of the herbal tea, a little bitter, it is advisable to add a teaspoon of rosemary honey.
4. Infusion of pennyroyal with dandelion for gallstones
Pennyroyal is also very effective. to promote the secretion of bile and facilitate the elimination of stones in the gallbladder.
In this case, an infusion that associates it with three gallbladder-protecting plants such as dandelion, rosemary and fumaria.
They follow the same instructions than in the previous formula, taking a cup after meals.
Advisor: J. Mª Teixé, herbalist from The spring of health