Natural Pain Relief with Brazilian Mint Tea

Pain is one of the most common symptoms that motivates a person to see their doctor. Once in their doctor’s office, they’ll likely be offered a pain medication which could be a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug or a narcotic based medication – depending upon what’s causing the pain and how severe it is. Although these medications are effective for pain control, they’re often associated with side effects such as sleepiness and stomach upset. What about options for natural relief of pain? There may be a new one on the horizon. Scientists have discovered that a special type of tea made from the plant Hyptis crenata helps to relieve pain naturally.

Tea for Pain Relief?

The hyptis crenata plant is also called the Brazilian mint plant. It’s used to treat a variety of pain related ailments, fever, and muscle aches in Brazil and is characteristically used in the form of a mint tea. The dried leaves of the hyptis crenata or Brazilian mint plant are boiled for thirty minutes and the tea is strained and allowed to cool before drinking. Unfortunately, the tea lacks the characteristic mint flavor most Americans recognize when they drink a cup of mint tea, but the drink is popular in Brazil because of its medicinal qualities.

Is Brazilian Mint Tea Effective for Relief of Pain?

The results of a study presented at the second International Symposium on Medicinal and Nutraceutical Plants suggest that this tea can help with pain relief. They tested its effectiveness by giving mice hyptis crenata in the form of an oral extract. From the results of this study, they concluded that the extract was as effective as many prescription drugs on the market for relieving pain. In fact, it compared in effectiveness to Indomethacin, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory that’s commonly used for treatment of painful episodes of gout. Unfortunately, Indomethacin is associated with a variety of serious side effects while Brazilian mint tea seems to be well tolerated.

The Bottom Line?

Human trials are in the works to see if Brazilian mint tea is as safe and effective for pain relief in humans as it is in mice. Researchers also want to get a better idea of what components of the hyptis crenata plant are responsible for the reduction in pain. Brazilian mint tea isn’t widely available in the United States and it would be premature to use it for relief of pain until human trials show that it’s completely safe. Judging from its successful use in Brazil, this natural pain reliever looks promising.