Dorothy FarrarRossminze
Horse mint has been used medicinally for thousands of years. The well-known Greek doctor Dioscurides (1st century AD) used the old natural remedy primarily for cramps. In Germany, horse mint was first described in the garden book of Emperor Charlemagne.
General overview
Horse mint (Mentha longifolia) is a species of mint and belongs to the mint family (Lamiaceae). The “long-leaved mint” is a hardy perennial herbaceous plant. It usually only grows to a maximum of 50 cm. Its square stem is covered with short hairs. It has 1 to 2 cm wide, ovate or lanceolate leaves that can be 4 to 9 cm long. Its edge is surrounded by sharp teeth. The attractive pink-red horse mint flowers open from July to September.
The plant forms extremely proliferating root suckers. All of its aerial parts are edible. Its leaves have an unpleasant musty taste. When crushed, they give off a petroleum-like smell. If you want to collect the plant, you should do so during the flowering period, as that is when it has the highest concentration of active substances. Choose a dry day and lunchtime. The horsemint herb is dried in the sun and then crushed.
occurrence and cultivation
Horse mint is found throughout Europe, Central Asia and Africa. In Germany it occurs mainly in the low mountain ranges and the foothills of the Alps. The old medicinal plant prefers semi-shady and sunny locations and thrives best on wet, chalky and nitrogenous clayey soil. It loves places near rivers and swamps, and also thrives near residential areas and farmland. If you want to grow the plant, you should keep it constantly moist, otherwise it will be infested with spider mites. Before the young leaves sprout, you fertilize it a little with some compost. Horse mint needs good frost protection in winter.
application and effect
Horse mint contains flavonoids , carvone, mycrene, linalool, bitter substances , tannins and many essential oils ( limonene , piperitone oxide, sabine, 50 to 60% menthofuran, alpha-pine, beta-pine, 1,8-cineol, beta-caryophyll, germacrene D, menthol, etc.). The old medicinal plant has an antiseptic , cooling, pain-relieving, wound-healing, expectorant, anti- inflammatory , circulation-enhancing, antispasmodic, digestive, appetite-enhancing and anti-itching effect.
The horse mint tea can be prepared as a cold infusion and with boiling hot water. For the cold infusion, take 2 teaspoons of dried leaves and pour them over 1/4 l of cold water. The covered tea is allowed to steep for 10 minutes. The tea prepared with boiling water must be covered for 5 minutes. For external use, a poultice with the fresh horse mint leaves or a porridge made from the freshly crushed leaves is suitable.
An oil extract is prepared for internal and external use. The fresh leaves are crushed and placed in vegetable oil. The jar then stands in a bright spot for two weeks and is shaken vigorously twice a day for a few minutes each time so that the active ingredients are distributed in the oil. Then you filter the horse mint oil and fill it in dark bottles. Taking 2 drops on a piece of sugar 1 to 3 times a day helps with colds and stomach cramps.
If you have a headache, apply horse mint oil diluted with a drop of vegetable oil to your temples. You can also use the oil for rubs and inhalations. Horse mint products must not be given to children under the age of 3, pregnant women and patients with high blood pressure and cardiac arrhythmias . Under no circumstances should horse mint oil be used in the mouth and nose area of small children (danger of respiratory arrest!).
What does horse mint help against?
importance to health
Horse mint can provide competent help for a variety of diseases. As a tea, it can be used for gastrointestinal disorders, bloating, indigestion, gas, nausea and even irritable bowel syndrome. It increases the release of gastric juice, which ensures that the food eaten is transported more quickly into the intestine . It also increases appetite – good for those who suffer from poor appetite.
In irritable bowel syndrome, the old medicinal plant relaxes the smooth intestinal muscles and reduces the movements of the intestine. Horse mint also provides relief for people with spasmodic bile problems. It increases the production of bile secretion.
However, patients with gallbladder inflammation, gallstones and gallbladder obstruction should not use the old natural remedy. The expectorant effect of horse mint can help with colds and bronchitis (inhalation). A poultice with their leaves relieves itching after insect bites and accelerates wound healing.
In the case of neuralgia, muscle pain or rheumatic complaints caused by inflammation and metabolic disorders, horsemint oil is rubbed into the painful areas 2 to 3 times a day.
Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.