bush mint

What is bush mint?

Bush mint is a leafy shrub brewed as a home tea across the Caribbean. Its botanical name is Lippia alba. It is not a true mint, though the crushed leaves smell lemony and sweet.

You may know it by a local name. In the Dominican Republic it is called pudín. In Cuba it is called quitadolor, which means "pain remover".

People have long drunk the tea to calm nerves, settle the stomach and ease cramps. The plant is also grown as a garden hedge and a scented bush.

Here is the honest verdict on the evidence. Human studies on bush mint are few, small and short. Most of the research is in test tubes and in mice, not in people.

Long traditional use tells you a plant is familiar. It does not tell you the plant works, and it does not tell you the plant is safe. That point applies to everything on this page, and it is made here once.

How does bush mint work?

Almost everything known about how bush mint acts comes from the lab, not from people.

The leaves hold a fragrant oil. In mice, that oil and its main parts bring on calm and sleepiness. In animal studies it also eases pain responses.

In isolated strips of animal gut and womb tissue, the oil relaxes muscle. That fits the old use for cramps and colic. It does not prove the same thing happens after you drink a cup of tea.

In test tubes, extracts slow the growth of some bacteria and fungi. Lab work has also looked at antiviral and antioxidant action. Whether any of this matters inside a human body is not established.

One more thing matters for the reader. The plant comes in several chemical types, so two bushes with the same name can brew very different teas.

What forms does bush mint come in?

Bush mint is used in a handful of simple forms.

Fresh leaves are the most common. People pick a sprig and steep it in hot water.

Dried leaf, loose or in tea bags, is sold in markets and health shops. Alcohol tinctures and liquid extracts are sold in some countries. Capsules of dried leaf exist but are uncommon.

The steam from a hot pot is sometimes breathed in. The leaves are also added to baths.

A concentrated essential oil is sold for scent and massage. This is a very different product from the tea. It is far stronger and is not meant to be swallowed.

Where it comes from:

Bush mint has a long record as a household remedy in the Caribbean and tropical Latin America.

In Cuba the name quitadolor points to its old use for aches and cramps. In the Dominican Republic, pudín was brewed for upset stomach and for restless children. Across the region it was a bedtime tea for nerves and poor sleep.

Healers also used it for colds, coughs and fevers, often as a steam or a warm drink. In Brazil the same plant was called a false melissa and used in much the same way.

Brazil's health agency later listed Lippia alba among plants of interest to its public health service. That listing reflects traditional standing and research interest. It is not a finding that the plant treats disease.

What does bush mint help with?

• trouble sleeping: This is the most common use of the tea in Caribbean homes. In mice, the leaf oil clearly brings on sleepiness. Human trials of the tea for sleep are essentially absent, so the effect in people is unproven.
• nervousness and mild anxiety: Tradition treated bush mint as a calming drink for nerves. A few small studies have tested the inhaled oil for calming, with mixed results. They are too small and too short to judge. A warm drink and a familiar smell may account for part of what people feel.
• stomach cramps and colic: Healers gave the tea for gripping belly pain. In isolated animal gut tissue, the oil relaxes smooth muscle, which fits the claim. No good human trial has tested the tea for cramps.
• nausea and indigestion: The tea was drunk after heavy meals and during queasiness. Citral-rich plants are often used this way in warm climates. There is no human evidence that bush mint reduces nausea.
• period pain: The muscle-relaxing claim led to use for cramps during periods. Evidence here is animal and test-tube only. Anyone who is or may be pregnant should avoid the plant, which limits casual use of this remedy.
• colds, coughs and chest congestion: Steam and hot tea were used for blocked noses and chesty coughs. Warm steam itself can make you feel clearer for a while. There is no proof bush mint shortens a cold or clears an infection.
• mild aches and headache: The Cuban name quitadolor records a pain-relief claim. In mice, extracts reduce pain responses. That has not been shown in people, and bush mint should not replace pain care your doctor has advised.

Which foods are rich in bush mint?

Bush mint is not a nutrient found in foods. It is a herb used as a tea and a flavouring in parts of the Caribbean and Latin America.

What are the side effects of bush mint?

• drowsiness or a dull, slowed feeling
• upset stomach or nausea
• loose stools
• lightheadedness, which may relate to a drop in blood pressure
• skin rash or itch in people sensitive to verbena-family plants
• skin irritation or burning from the undiluted essential oil

Good to know:

For most adults, a cup of the tea now and then causes no trouble. Reported problems are mild and usually settle when you stop.

Drowsiness is the effect most likely to matter day to day. The concentrated essential oil is the riskier product, not the tea.

Allergic reactions are uncommon but possible. Stop at the first sign of rash, swelling or breathing trouble.

How much bush mint should you take?

• Recommended daily: Bush mint is not a medicine with an agreed dose, and no dose here is advice for you. Tea labels and market custom usually describe about 1 to 2 grams of dried leaf, roughly a heaped teaspoon, steeped in a cup of hot water. Packages often suggest no more than two or three cups a day. Tinctures carry their own label amounts, which differ by brand and strength. The essential oil is not for swallowing at any amount. Chemotype differences mean strength varies from plant to plant.
• Best time of day: Timing follows the reason for use. People drink it in the evening for sleep or nerves. They drink it after meals for stomach upset. It can make you drowsy. Avoid it before driving or operating machinery.
• With or without food: Food does not matter much for the tea. Many people take it after meals for cramps or fullness. If it upsets your stomach, try it with food or stop.
• Time to effect: If anything is felt, people usually notice it within about 20 to 40 minutes of a hot cup. Some of that is simply the warm drink and the rest. It may also do nothing at all. There is no reliable human evidence to promise an effect.
• How long to take it: Traditional use was short and occasional, such as a few nights of poor sleep or a day of belly upset. No study has tested what daily use does over months. Because of that, long unbroken use cannot be called safe. If you feel you need it every day for weeks, that is a reason to see a doctor about the underlying problem.