Peppermint Tea Benefits, Peppermint Oil for IBS and Menthol Safety

Peppermint tea benefits are easier to describe than to prove. Peppermint tea is a caffeine-free herbal drink made from the leaves of Mentha x piperita, and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) says very little research has been done on peppermint leaf. A 2006 Tufts University review found no clinical trials of the tea at all. Most of the evidence people quote comes from peppermint oil, usually in enteric-coated capsules, which has been tested in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) with mostly positive but uneven results. Peppermint can also make heartburn worse, and menthol should never go on a baby’s face. Here is what the tea and the oil can and cannot be expected to do, how peppermint oil capsules differ, and who should be careful.

Peptide Labs sells products that list peppermint or menthol, but this article does not recommend any of them. It is general information, not medical advice.

Peppermint tea vs peppermint oil: what is the difference?

Peppermint is a natural cross between water mint and spearmint. NCCIH explains that peppermint oil is the essential oil taken from the flowering parts and leaves, and that essential oils are very concentrated. The Tufts review lists rosmarinic acid and flavonoids such as eriocitrin, luteolin and hesperidin among the compounds in the leaves, while the oil is dominated by menthol and menthone. A cup of tea and a capsule of oil therefore deliver very different things.

Peppermint tea is a tisane, not a true tea from the tea plant. USDA nutrient data list brewed herbal teas other than chamomile at zero caffeine, although some blends add green or black tea, so check the ingredient list.

Peppermint tea benefits: what the research shows

The honest summary is that the tea has barely been studied. The 2006 review, from the USDA nutrition research center at Tufts, concluded that human studies of peppermint leaf are limited and clinical trials of peppermint tea are absent, though it found no reported adverse reactions to the tea. NCCIH still says there is not enough evidence to determine whether peppermint leaf is useful for any health condition.

Newer work is small. In a 2025 study at Northumbria University, 25 adults drank one serving of peppermint tea or a placebo drink in a single-blind design. The peppermint group showed larger gains on computerized thinking tests and in markers of blood flow in the front of the brain. With so few people and a single serving, it is a starting point, not proof.

In Europe, the European Medicines Agency’s herbal committee accepts peppermint leaf as a traditional herbal remedy for relief of digestion-related problems such as indigestion and flatulence. That status rests on at least 30 years of use, not on clinical trials, and the committee advises seeing a practitioner if symptoms last more than two weeks. Peppermint is not among the ingredients reviewed in the NIH fact sheet on weight-loss supplements, and we found no trials showing that peppermint tea helps with weight. Our guide to improving gut health covers everyday habits with better support.

Peppermint oil for IBS: what trials found

Peppermint oil for IBS is where most of the research sits. The American College of Gastroenterology’s 2021 guideline suggests peppermint to relieve overall IBS symptoms, a conditional recommendation based on low-quality evidence. Three studies shape that picture:

• 2019 meta-analysis (Johns Hopkins): 12 randomized trials with 835 patients. Peppermint oil improved overall symptoms and abdominal pain more than placebo, and side effects were not significantly more common (9.3% vs 6.1%).
• 2022 meta-analysis: 10 randomized trials with 1,030 patients. Peppermint oil again beat placebo for overall symptoms and belly pain, but side effects were more frequent and the authors rated the quality of evidence very low.
• 2020 PERSUADE trial (Netherlands): 190 adults with IBS took one of two capsule types or placebo for 8 weeks. Neither capsule significantly improved the main pain or overall-relief measures used by regulators, though the version released in the small intestine did better on secondary pain and severity scores. Mild side effects were more common with peppermint oil.

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) lists coated peppermint oil capsules among options a doctor may suggest for IBS-related belly pain. IBS is a diagnosis, though, and symptoms like these can have other causes, so get checked before relying on any product. For gas and bloating more broadly, see our debloating guide and the research on probiotics for bloating.

Peppermint oil capsules: what to look for

• Enteric coating or delayed release: the coating is meant to carry the oil past the stomach. NCCIH says this lowers the chance of heartburn, and the trials above mostly tested coated capsules.
• Oil, not leaf powder: a capsule of peppermint leaf powder is a different product from concentrated peppermint oil.
• Supplement status: peppermint oil capsules sold as dietary supplements are not approved by the FDA before sale. Our guide to third-party tested supplements explains what testing seals mean.
• Other ingredients: in blends, peppermint can share the label with laxative herbs or stimulants.

We do not currently carry an enteric-coated peppermint oil capsule. Peppermint shows up in our store as a minor ingredient. The NUVAIOBTY GLP-1 supplement lists peppermint leaf powder among about 20 ingredients, including licorice and green tea extract. The Cleaner Detox 7 Day Formula lists peppermint inside a proprietary blend led by fiber and senna leaf, and its label warns against use for more than 7 days in a row unless a doctor directs; our article on stimulant laxative herbs explains why. Neither resembles the peppermint oil tested in IBS trials, and our roundup of digestive health supplements compares other options.

Menthol: the cooling compound in peppermint

Menthol is the main volatile compound in peppermint oil. Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) notes that peppermint oil and menthol relax gut muscle in lab studies by limiting calcium flow into muscle cells. On the skin, menthol is a drug ingredient: the FDA’s over-the-counter monograph for external pain relievers lists it among ingredients that produce a cooling sensation, and those labels must tell parents not to use the product on children under 2 without asking a doctor. In 2012 the FDA warned that muscle and joint products containing menthol, methyl salicylate or capsaicin had been linked to rare first- to third-degree chemical burns, with 43 cases reported between 1969 and 2011.

cbdMD Freeze is an example of this drug category: menthol is its Drug Facts active ingredient and the hemp extract is listed as inactive. Its label says not to bandage tightly or use it with a heating pad. NCCIH warns that menthol should not be inhaled by or applied to the face of an infant or small child because it may affect breathing, and a 2007 American Family Physician review lists bronchospasm and tongue spasms among the risks. The European herbal committee says peppermint oil preparations must not be used in children under 2.

Side effects, heartburn and drug interactions

NCCIH lists heartburn, nausea, abdominal pain and dry mouth as possible side effects of oral peppermint oil, with rare allergic reactions and skin rashes from topical use. Heartburn deserves attention: the American Family Physician review explains that peppermint oil can relax the lower esophageal sphincter, the valve that keeps stomach acid down, and NIDDK lists mint among foods commonly linked to reflux symptoms. MSK advises people with gallstones, gallbladder inflammation, hiatal hernia or reflux disease to talk to a physician before using peppermint. Possible interactions include:

• Cyclosporine: peppermint oil raised levels in rats, yet a kidney transplant patient had lower levels after drinking an herbal tea with peppermint, so the effect is unpredictable.
• Felodipine: MSK reports that peppermint oil increased how much of this blood pressure drug the body absorbed.
• Drugs broken down by liver enzymes: lab studies show peppermint oil can block several CYP enzymes; the clinical importance is not known.

Peppermint in food amounts is likely safe during pregnancy and breastfeeding, according to NCCIH, but little is known about medicinal amounts. See a doctor if digestive symptoms change suddenly, keep coming back, or come with weight loss, fever, vomiting or bleeding, and get emergency care for chest pain.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting any supplement, especially if you take medicines. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Last reviewed September 2026.

Related guides: How to Debloat: Common Causes of Bloating, What Helps and When to See a Doctor, Probiotics for Bloating and Gas: What the Strain-by-Strain Evidence Shows, Digestive Health Supplements: Fiber, Probiotics, Prebiotics and Enzymes Explained.