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Writer's pictureHimalayan Long Life

Why Mint For Memory?

Updated: Jan 11, 2021

Most of us love mint. But why is the body so attracted to it?


Here is an article by Elizabeth Renter, June 16, 2013.

Please view the above link. But if it is not there, please read the excerpt below. The original links have been left in it.


Note that Himalayan Gold does not endorse these claims, or of the doctors and scientists in the references at the foot of the page. We place this page here for readers to access and evaluate, that is all.

Did you know that there are numerous medicinal uses of peppermint? We know it can make your breath smell good, but the benefits of peppermint hardly stop at your mouth. Once ingested, or even smelled, peppermint can have profound brain health benefits.


According to recent research from Wheeling Jesuit University, the smell or flavor of peppermint can have profound effects on cognitive functions. These include reasoning, problem solving, concept formation, judgment, attention span, and even memory.

For their research, the participants of this particular study chewed peppermint, cinnamon or cherry flavored gums. Flavorless gum and no gum was offered to control groups. All three flavored gums, including peppermint, increased working memory and visual-motor response.


In another aspect of the research, odors were looked at. Both peppermint and cinnamon scents were shown to improve memory test scores.

“Finding a non-pharmacological adjunct to the enhancement of cognitive performance in humans would be both groundbreaking and readily accepted by society,” said Phillip Zoladz, a senior psychology major who worked on the study.

But this research isn’t the only evidence of mint and mental aptitude.


In 2008, researchers in England looked at peppermint scent and brain power. They compared it to the scent of ylang ylang and a control group who received no odor. Those who received peppermint smell increased both alertness and memory. Unfortunately, ylang ylang had the opposite effect.


Similar results were found in a study published in the International Journal of Neuroscience and yet another from Ohio.


These studies are interesting in that they don’t require you to ingest anything at all. Even if you don’t like the taste of mint, you can enjoy the benefits simply with the scent. Whether you purchase peppermint essential oils or grow the mint plant itself, try inhaling some of it before an important report is due or when you need a particularly great amount of focus.


As for additional benefits, peppermint is also good for soothing the stomach and even irritable bowel syndrome. Make a simple tea with some leaves from the mint plant and boiling water. Or, add it to a fresh fruit salad.



NOTE 1: Mint is in Super Superfood Greens 20% by volume, in Super Superfood Reds 4 % by volume, and in Super Superfood Gold it is 8% by volume.


NOTE 2: While these above are amazing reports, our super superfoods do not include high volumes of mint leaf. If you are ill, please go to a physician. If on the other hand, you want good health by a cross selection of good nutrition, with an associated long life, our super superfoods are available for you.


Further references:


  1. Ali-Shtayeh MS, Jamous RM, Abu-Zaitoun SY, Khasati AI, Kalbouneh SR.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2019 Oct 20;2019:3834265. doi: 10.1155/2019/3834265. eCollection 2019.

  2. PMID: 31772594 Free PMC Article Similar articles


  1. Kennedy DO.Sports Med. 2019 Feb;49(Suppl 1):39-58. doi: 10.1007/s40279-018-1007-0. Review.

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  1. Rehman A, Jafari SM, Tong Q, Karim A, Mahdi AA, Iqbal MW, Aadil RM, Ali A, Manzoor MF.Int J Biol Macromol. 2020 Feb 26. pii: S0141-8130(20)30525-0. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.02.292. [Epub ahead of print]

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  1. Al Hagbani T, Kamal MM, Nazzal S.Drug Dev Ind Pharm. 2020 Mar 5:1-8. doi: 10.1080/03639045.2020.1734019. [Epub ahead of print]

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  1. Unalan I, Slavik B, Buettner A, Goldmann WH, Frank G, Boccaccini AR.Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2019 Nov 26;7:346. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2019.00346. eCollection 2019.

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  1. Ameer K, Chirom A, Paul A.J Pharm Biomed Anal. 2020 Apr 15;182:113136. doi: 10.1016/j.jpba.2020.113136. Epub 2020 Jan 31.

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  1. Gavahian M, Sastry S, Farhoosh R, Farahnaky A.Adv Food Nutr Res. 2020;91:227-273. doi: 10.1016/bs.afnr.2019.09.001. Epub 2019 Oct 26.

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  1. Mohammadi M, Asadi-Gharneh HA.J Photochem Photobiol B. 2018 Jan;178:237-242. doi: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2017.10.032. Epub 2017 Oct 28.

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