Peppermint oil reduces blood pressure by 8.48 mmHg in small study
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Peppermint oil supplementation lowered systolic blood pressure by 8.48 mmHg in a small trial.
A 20-day placebo-controlled RCT with 40 pre- and stage 1 hypertensive adults found that twice-daily 100 μL peppermint oil reduced systolic blood pressure by 8.48 mmHg (95% CI -14.24 to -2.73, d = -0.94) compared to placebo. The peppermint group's average SBP fell from 130.05 to 121.97 mmHg; the placebo group's rose slightly. Compliance was 93.3%, with one dropout and one adverse event in the peppermint arm. The authors suggest peppermint oil may be a low-cost, well-tolerated adjunct for blood pressure management.
What commenters are saying
Commenters debated the study's validity, noting the small sample size and concurrent improvements in waist circumference and heart rate in the peppermint group, suggesting confounding by lifestyle changes. Several shared anecdotes about peppermint aiding digestion, gas, and bloating, proposing that waist reduction could reflect a debloating effect. Others discussed mechanisms: menthol acts as a calcium-channel blocker causing vasodilation, and may inhibit CYP3A4/CYP1A2, altering estrogen metabolite ratios. One commenter noted peppermint oil is an NHS-prescribed remedy for IBS.
Lower-ranked comments joked about supplemints and the precision of sphygmomanometry, while some distinguished between mentha piperita and mentha arvensis, and between peppermint oil and mint tea.