What Is Spearmint Tea Good For? Hormones, Acne and the Evidence

Strong = multiple human trials or a meta-analysis. Moderate = a few small trials. Preliminary = early, traditional or animal data.

1. 1

   Lowers androgens in PCOS and hirsutism

   Moderate evidence

   In a UK randomized trial, 42 women with PCOS drank spearmint tea or a chamomile placebo twice a day for 30 days. Free and total testosterone fell significantly in the spearmint group while LH and FSH rose, and women rated their hirsutism as improved on a quality-of-life scale, although objective hair scores had not yet changed at 30 days. An earlier Turkish study in 21 women with hirsutism found the same hormone shifts after just five days of two cups a day (5 g of dried leaf in 250 mL water). Both trials are small and short, which is why this is Moderate rather than Strong.

   Key evidenceGrant P, Phytotherapy Research 2010 (30-day RCT, 42 women with PCOS); Akdoğan et al., Phytotherapy Research 2007.

2. 2

   May help hormonal acne

   Preliminary evidence

   Acne driven by excess androgens, the kind that flares along the jawline before a period, is the same problem spearmint improved in PCOS. That makes the acne claim plausible, but no published randomized trial has tested spearmint tea for acne, and a widely quoted dermatology conference abstract on spearmint extract capsules was never published in full. If you try it, give it two to three months at two cups a day before judging, and do not expect it to match spironolactone or a prescription retinoid.

3. 3

   Eases knee osteoarthritis stiffness and pain

   Preliminary evidence

   At the University of Guelph, 62 adults with knee osteoarthritis drank two cups a day of either a spearmint bred to contain high rosmarinic acid (about 130 to 150 mg per cup) or ordinary commercial spearmint for 16 weeks. The high-rosmarinic group had significant reductions in stiffness and physical disability; pain improved in both groups. A single trial with a special cultivar, so promising but not something an ordinary tea bag will reliably reproduce.

   Key evidenceConnelly et al., Journal of Medicinal Food 2014 (16-week trial, 62 patients).

4. 4

   Supports working memory in older adults

   Preliminary evidence

   In a 90-day trial, 90 adults with age-associated memory impairment took 900 mg a day of a spearmint extract standardized for rosmarinic acid or placebo. The extract group improved working memory accuracy by about 15% and reported better sleep. The dose is roughly equivalent to several strong cups of high-rosmarinic spearmint; a regular cup gives less. It is one industry-funded trial of an extract, not the tea.

   Key evidenceHerrlinger et al., Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 2018.

5. 5

   Settles digestion and bloating

   Preliminary evidence

   Carvone and limonene relax intestinal smooth muscle in laboratory studies, and spearmint has been used for indigestion, gas and nausea across the Mediterranean and Middle East for centuries. A trial in 50 chemotherapy patients found spearmint or peppermint oil drops reduced nausea. There is no trial of spearmint tea for bloating; the practical case for it over peppermint is its low menthol, which makes it the better mint if reflux is part of your problem.

6. 6

   Antioxidant and antimicrobial activity

   Preliminary evidence

   Spearmint leaf is unusually rich in rosmarinic acid and the flavonoids diosmin and hesperidin. In the laboratory these are strong antioxidants and inhibit common bacteria, and animal studies show lower markers of oxidative stress. No human outcome has been tied to drinking spearmint tea for these reasons, so treat this as a bonus rather than a reason to drink it.

Is spearmint tea good for you?

• Yes for most people: it is caffeine-free, gentler than peppermint, and the one herbal tea with randomized trial evidence for lowering testosterone in women with PCOS and hirsutism.
• For PCOS, acne or excess hair, copy the trial dose, two cups a day of a strong brew, and give it at least a month; the hormone shift is modest and works best alongside standard treatment, not instead of it.
• Men and anyone trying to raise testosterone should not drink it daily; the anti-androgen effect is the whole point for PCOS and the opposite of what they want.
• Avoid it in pregnancy, since high doses caused uterine damage in rat studies and it has not been tested in pregnant women; occasional use while breastfeeding is probably fine.
• Keep to tea rather than concentrated extracts: very large doses caused liver and kidney changes in rats, and the memory trial used a standardized extract under supervision.

• The PCOS trials used about 5 g of dried leaf (roughly one heaped tablespoon or two bags) per cup, steeped covered for 5 to 10 minutes, twice a day.
• Fresh mint from the garden works; bruise the leaves first and use a generous handful.
• Cold-brewed spearmint (a handful of leaves in a litre jug overnight) is a good summer substitute for sweet drinks.

Frequently asked questions

1. Grant P. Spearmint herbal tea has significant anti-androgen effects in polycystic ovarian syndrome. A randomized controlled trial. Phytotherapy Research (2010)View source
2. Akdoğan M, Tamer MN, Cüre E, Cüre MC, Köroğlu BK, Delibaş N. Effect of spearmint (Mentha spicata Labiatae) teas on androgen levels in women with hirsutism. Phytotherapy Research (2007)View source
3. Connelly AE, Tucker AJ, Tulk H, et al.. High-rosmarinic acid spearmint tea in the management of knee osteoarthritis symptoms. Journal of Medicinal Food (2014)
4. Herrlinger KA, Nieman KM, Sanoshy KD, et al.. Spearmint extract improves working memory in men and women with age-associated memory impairment. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (2018)
5. Akdoğan M, Ozguner M, Kocak A, Oncu M, Cicek E. Investigation of biochemical and histopathological effects of Mentha piperita L. and Mentha spicata L. on liver tissue in rats. Human and Experimental Toxicology (2004)
6. Akdoğan M, Ozguner M, Aydin G, Gokalp O. Effects of peppermint teas on plasma testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone levels and testicular tissue in rats. Urology (2004)
7. Guney M, Oral B, Karahanli N, Mungan T, Akdogan M. Antioxidant activity and the effect of spearmint (Mentha spicata) tea on the uterus of rats. Toxicology and Industrial Health (2006)
8. Tayarani-Najaran Z, Talasaz-Firoozi E, Nasiri R, Jalali N, Hassanzadeh M. Antiemetic activity of volatile oil from Mentha spicata and Mentha × piperita in chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. ecancermedicalscience (2013)