Know2eat

Spearmint

Mentha spicata

What spearmint has been studied for

3 associations assessed — 2 with at least some human evidence behind them. Strongest first.

  • 2 Limited
  • 1 Insufficient
3 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About spearmint

The mint of Middle Eastern cooking, mint sauce and Moroccan tea, dominated by carvone rather than the menthol that defines peppermint — so the two are not interchangeable. The USDA entry is the dried leaf per 100 g, an amount only meaningful as a reference point.

Also known as spearmint, garden mint, common mint, nana mint

Brain & Cognitive HealthJoint HealthGut & Digestive Health

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Limited

What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Cognitive function

Brain & Cognitive Health
Limited evidence

A proprietary spearmint extract high in rosmarinic acid has been tested in several small trials, reporting small improvements in working memory and attention in older adults and in athletes. The trials are short, the extract is a concentrated commercial product taken at a fixed daily dose, and most of the work has been funded by its manufacturer.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

4 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Joint comfort

Joint Health
Limited evidence

Two small trials of high-rosmarinic-acid spearmint tea in knee osteoarthritis reported reduced stiffness and pain scores over sixteen weeks. Both used a specially bred high-polyphenol cultivar rather than ordinary spearmint, the samples were small, and pain scores are strongly placebo-sensitive.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

1 source

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Digestive comfort

Gut & Digestive Health
Insufficient evidence

Spearmint is drunk after meals across the Mediterranean and Middle East on the assumption that it settles the stomach. Almost all the mint research on digestive symptoms used peppermint oil, a different species and a pharmaceutical preparation, so spearmint itself is untested.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

1 source

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Ask about Spearmint

Ask about Spearmint

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories285 kcal14%
Protein19.9 g40%
Total fat6.03 g8%
Carbohydrate52 g19%
Fibre29.8 g106%
Water11.3 g—
Fats
Saturated fat1.58 g8%
Monounsaturated fat0.21 g—
Polyunsaturated fat3.26 g—
Cholesterol0 mg0%
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.446 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A529 µg59%
Vitamin C0 mg0%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Thiamin (B1)0.288 mg24%
Riboflavin (B2)1.42 mg109%
Niacin (B3)6.56 mg41%
Pantothenic acid (B5)1.4 mg28%
Vitamin B62.58 mg152%
Folate530 µg133%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Minerals
Calcium1488 mg114%
Iron87.5 mg486%
Magnesium602 mg143%
Phosphorus276 mg22%
Potassium1924 mg41%
Sodium344 mg15%
Zinc2.41 mg22%
Copper1.54 mg171%
Manganese11.5 mg499%
Other measured compounds
Ash10.7 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Spearmint, dried (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 172239).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

  • brewedChanges polyphenol extraction

    Steeping time changes how much rosmarinic acid and how many volatile compounds move into the cup. The trials that reported hormonal effects specified a defined amount of dried leaf steeped for a set time, which a casually made cup will not reproduce.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Worth knowing

    Mint relaxes the valve at the top of the stomach

    Mints reduce lower oesophageal sphincter tone, which is useful for cramping lower down and unhelpful for reflux. People with gastro-oesophageal reflux or a hiatus hernia commonly find mint makes symptoms worse.

  • Worth knowing

    Spearmint tea has measurable anti-androgen effects

    Small trials using two cups of spearmint tea daily reported falls in free testosterone in women with hirsutism. That is the basis of its popularity for polycystic ovary syndrome, and equally a reason for men, anyone trying to conceive, and anyone on hormonal treatment to treat daily use as an active choice rather than a neutral one.

  • Allergy

    Mint-family allergy and contact reactions

    Mints cause occasional oral allergy and contact dermatitis, and carvone is a recognised contact allergen in toothpastes and flavourings.