Does peppermint oil help with nausea? Explore the effectiveness of essential oils like lavender, ginger, peppermint, spearmint, and cardamom for relieving nausea. Learn how to properly use these natural remedies.

The Effectiveness of Essential Oils for Nausea Relief

Essential oils are the active compounds found in plants, distilled into potent oils. These oils harness the powerful properties of some botanical herbs and spices, which can work to kill bacteria, relax muscles, relieve pain, improve digestion, and cure nausea. Because they carry few side effects and little risk, essential oils are becoming popular home remedies for various medical conditions. However, it’s important to note that essential oils are not meant to be ingested and some can be toxic. They are meant to be infused into the air in an inhaler or mixed with a carrier oil and applied to the skin.

Lavender Oil for Relaxation and Nausea

Lavender essential oil is perhaps best known for its relaxing properties. Using lavender oil topically or in a diffuser can help your mind decompress as you get ready for bed. This same property can also make lavender effective in fighting nausea. If your nausea is caused by anxiety or physical pain, lavender’s power to relax might be just what you’re looking for. This remedy works best when you put a few drops of lavender in an essential oil diffuser and breathe in slowly as the scent fills the air.

Ginger Oil for Nausea and Motion Sickness

Ginger essential oil has been studied as a remedy for nausea and motion sickness. People swear by it, and the research agrees that it works. Ginger oil can be diffused into the air with an oil diffuser, rubbed onto pressure points at your forehead and wrists, or even rubbed directly on your stomach to improve nausea. One clinical trial revealed that this remedy is particularly effective for people that experience nausea while recovering from surgical anesthesia. Ginger is also generally considered safe for pregnant women experiencing nausea.

Peppermint Oil for Relaxing Gastric Muscles

Peppermint tea is often suggested as a remedy for nausea, but the essential oil can have the same soothing effect. Peppermint oil, some researchers believe, relaxes the gastric muscles and keeps them from cramping up or over-contracting. One scientific review concluded that inhaling peppermint oil when you feel nauseous will improve your symptoms and have you feeling better quickly. Though more research is needed into peppermint oil’s effects on different kinds of nausea, try peppermint oil in a diffuser the next time you’re feeling sick.

Spearmint Oil for Refreshing Relief

Though not as well-known as a nausea treatment, peppermint’s purer-bred relative spearmint is also effective. Like peppermint and ginger oils, spearmint essential oil can be applied to pressure points, rubbed gently over the stomach and intestinal area, or diffused through the air to bring relief for nausea. The refreshing scent of spearmint, mixed with the menthol component of its oil, can make you feel more alert and able to breathe despite your nausea.

Cardamom Oil in Essential Oil Blends

Cardamom is a spice in the same family as ginger, with its own unique properties and scent. The essential oil of cardamom was used in a blend of other essential oils in a clinical trial for post-operative nausea. The study found cardamom to be a promising anti-nausea agent when mixed with other essential oils. To use cardamom in a mix, or try it on its own, put a few drops into an essential oil diffuser. The rich, spicy scent of the cardamom may also help you to relax, which could decrease nausea and anxiety due to illness.

Fennel Oil for Digestive Relief

Fennel is frequently used as a digestive aid and a constipation reliever. Fennel is able to relax the digestive tract, which prevents and aids nausea. Using fennel essential oil could have the same effect. Fennel oil can be diluted in a carrier oil and applied to pressure points on your body or diffused. There’s little risk to using fennel oil several times per day.

Precautions and Proper Usage

Using essential oils for nausea is a generally low-risk home remedy. But there are some people that shouldn’t use this treatment as a way to get rid of nausea. In very rare cases, over-exposure from the menthol contained in peppermint and spearmint can hurt your skin. A more commonly reported side effect is dermatitis from lavender oil. Use a gentle carrier oil, like jojoba oil or coconut oil, to mix with more potent oils before applying to your skin. This will help you avoid burning or irritating your skin’s surface when you use essential oils topically. Three to five drops of essential oil in an ounce of carrier oil is the usual recipe.

Never directly inhale the vapor from an oil diffuser or steam dispenser, as it can irritate your mucous membrane. If your nausea persists over 48 hours, or if you begin to show signs of dehydration, stop using essential oils and contact your health provider. This home remedy is meant to help mild nausea, not severe or persistent cases.

What Works and How to Use Them

Overview

Essential oils are the active compounds found in plants, distilled into potent oils. These oils harness the powerful properties of some botanical herbs and spices. Some of these properties can work to kill bacteria, relax muscles, relieve pain, improve digestion, and cure nausea. Because they carry few side effects and little risk, essential oils are becoming popular home remedies for all sorts of medical conditions.

Essential oils are not meant to be ingested and some can be toxic. Essential oils are meant to be infused into the air in an inhaler or mixed with a carrier oil and applied to the skin.

If you experience frequent nausea due to pregnancy, stomach irritation, vertigo, gastro-intestinal reflux, or other common conditions, essential oils might be a helpful treatment.

Lavender essential oil is perhaps best known for its relaxing properties. Using lavender oil topically or in a diffuser can help your mind decompress as you get ready for bed. This same property can also make lavender effective in fighting nausea.

If your nausea is caused by anxiety or physical pain, lavender’s power to relax might be just what you’re looking for. This remedy works best when you put a few drops of lavender in an essential oil diffuser and breathe in slowly as the scent fills the air.

For nausea caused by pregnancy, a virus, or post-operative pain, you might want to try some of the other oils on this list.

Ginger essential oil has been studied as a remedy for nausea and motion sickness. People swear by it, and the research agrees that it works. Ginger oil can be diffused into the air with an oil diffuser, rubbed onto pressure points at your forehead and wrists, or even rubbed directly on your stomach to improve nausea.

One clinical trial revealed that this remedy is particularly effective for people that experience nausea while recovering from surgical anesthesia. Ginger is also generally considered safe for pregnant women experiencing nausea.

Peppermint tea is often suggested as a remedy for nausea, but the essential oil can have the same soothing effect. Peppermint oil, some researchers believe, relaxes the gastric muscles and keeps them from cramping up or over-contracting.

One scientific review concluded that inhaling peppermint oil when you feel nauseous will improve your symptoms and have you feeling better quickly. Though more research is needed into peppermint oil’s effects on different kinds of nausea, try peppermint oil in a diffuser the next time you’re feeling sick.

Though not as well-known as a nausea treatment, peppermint’s purer-bred relative spearmint is also effective. Like peppermint and ginger oils, spearmint essential oil can be applied to pressure points, rubbed gently over the stomach and intestinal area, or diffused through the air to bring relief for nausea. The refreshing scent of spearmint, mixed with the menthol component of its oil, can make you feel more alert and able to breathe despite your nausea.

Cardamom is a spice in the same family as ginger, with its own unique properties and scent. The essential oil of cardamom was used in a blend of other essential oils in a clinical trial for post-operative nausea. The study found cardamom to be a promising anti-nausea agent when mixed with other essential oils.

To use cardamom in a mix, or try it on its own, put a few drops into an essential oil diffuser. The rich, spicy scent of the cardamom may also help you to relax, which could decrease nausea and anxiety due to illness.

Fennel is frequently used as a digestive aid and a constipation reliever. Fennel is able to relax the digestive tract, which prevents and aids nausea. Using fennel essential oil could have the same effect. Fennel oil can be diluted in a carrier oil and applied to pressure points on your body or diffused. There’s little risk to using fennel oil several times per day.

Using essential oils for nausea is a generally low-risk home remedy. But there are some people that shouldn’t use this treatment as a way to get rid of nausea. In very rare cases, over-exposure from the menthol contained in peppermint and spearmint can hurt your skin. A more commonly reported side effect is dermatitis from lavender oil.

Use a gentle carrier oil, like jojoba oil or coconut oil, to mix with more potent oils before applying to your skin. This will help you avoid burning or irritating your skin’s surface when you use essential oils topically. Three to five drops of essential oil in an ounce of carrier oil is the usual recipe.

Never directly inhale the vapor from an oil diffuser or steam dispenser, as it can irritate your mucous membrane. If your nausea persists over 48 hours, or if you begin to show signs of dehydration, stop using essential oils and contact your health provider.

This home remedy is meant to help mild nausea. It won’t cure the source of your nausea if you have a bacterial or viral infection. And if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding and looking for help with morning sickness, you should consult with your midwife or doctor before using alternative treatments.

It’s important to remember that essential oils are not a miracle cure. They are still being researched, and their limits as remedies aren’t yet fully understood. Keeping that in mind, there’s not much to lose by grabbing your favorite essential oil to treat your next bout of nausea. By taking a deep breath and calming your body, you might be able to ward off the nausea and keep it from becoming worse.

The FDA does not monitor the use or manufacture of essential oils. To ensure a pure, safe product, research company quality before purchasing a specific brand. A certified aromatherapist can make recommendations.

Keep an eye out for emergency symptoms regardless of whether you’re feeling better, and never try to treat dehydration, severe headaches, or severe bleeding that come along with nausea yourself. Remember that your healthcare provider is the best person to ask about the causes and potential cures for any nausea that you experience.

Peppermint Essential Oil for Nausea and Vomiting in Hospitalized Patients: Incorporating Holistic Patient Decision Making Into the Research Design

. 2021 Jun;39(2):126-134.

doi: 10.1177/0898010120961579.

Epub 2020 Sep 27.

Carla Mohr 
¹
, Cassandra Jensen 
¹
, Nicole Padden 
¹
, Jamie M Besel 
¹
, Jeannine M Brant 
¹

Affiliations

Affiliation

• ¹ Billings Clinic.

• PMID:

  32985338

• DOI:

  10.1177/0898010120961579

Carla Mohr et al.

J Holist Nurs.

2021 Jun.

. 2021 Jun;39(2):126-134.

doi: 10.1177/0898010120961579.

Epub 2020 Sep 27.

Authors

Carla Mohr 
¹
, Cassandra Jensen 
¹
, Nicole Padden 
¹
, Jamie M Besel 
¹
, Jeannine M Brant 
¹

Affiliation

• ¹ Billings Clinic.

• PMID:

  32985338

• DOI:

  10.1177/0898010120961579

Abstract

Aims:

This study examined nausea and vomiting (N/V) in hospitalized patients following the use of inhaled peppermint essential oil (aromatherapy) compared to combined aromatherapy/antiemetics or antiemetics alone.

Method and materials:

A total of 103 hospitalized patients were offered one of three options to control N/V. Patient choice was considered in the holistic trial design so that patients were not denied either the essential oil or antiemetics. Patients rated nausea 0 to 10 on the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale at symptom onset and within 60 minutes of the intervention.

Results:

Only three subjects enrolled in the antiemetic arm; thus this arm was eliminated from analysis, resulting in 100 evaluable patients. Mean nausea score improved significantly for the entire sample following the aromatherapy or aromatherapy/antiemetic intervention (p < .0001). Patients in the aromatherapy arm had significant improvement in nausea compared to the combined aromatherapy/antiemetic arm (p < .0001). Patient perception that peppermint oil relieves N/V significantly improved for the entire sample. Notable is that 65% of patients used peppermint essential oil alone.

Conclusions:

Peppermint essential oil is an effective independent or complementary modality for relief of N/V in hospitalized patients. Research designs that incorporate patient decision making should be considered for studies in which placebos do not contribute to holistic care.

Keywords:

aromatherapy; essential oil; holistic; nausea/vomiting; patient autonomy; peppermint.

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MeSH terms

Substances

Peppermint essential oil – 20 ways to use / Blog / JUST Ukraine

Peppermint oil is very popular in aromatherapy, cosmetology, medicine and even cooking. Its properties are so well studied that one bottle of peppermint essential oil at home (and not only) can protect us from many problems. We offer a checklist of 20 questions that can be solved with peppermint oil.

Prevention

1. Headache . Mint helps to get rid of headaches, including migraines. Mixed with base oil rub into temples. You can also use it in an aroma lamp. It is important to remember that mint helps in the initial stages. If the head hurts for a long time – mint is no longer worth using.

2. Prevention of SARS and other colds. Oils of different types of mint have antiviral and antibacterial effects. Can be sprayed indoors or dripped onto the lapel of a coat, jacket, or scarf before visiting crowded places.

3. Snoring . This oil helps with snoring. In foreign blogs, it is often mentioned that it helps when taking a small amount inside (1 drop per 1 teaspoon of honey, diluted in a glass of water). Drink a few sips before bed. And snoring is greatly reduced. An aroma lamp with this oil or a drop in a face cream or base oil applied to the face will also be effective.

4. High pressure . Regular inhalation of peppermint oil helps reduce pressure figures and avoid crises.

See also: How to soothe a headache

Refreshing effect

5. Nausea . By inhaling the aroma of peppermint essential oil , you will quickly get rid of nausea.

6. Seasickness . If you get motion sickness, inhale this oil to reduce motion sickness symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and dizziness. For this purpose, you can apply mint on a napkin or handkerchief, or on your wrists (pre-diluted in base ).

7. Mental work . If you need to concentrate, for example, before an exam or a test, or if you are doing some kind of complex mental work, the aroma of mint will help you cheer up and also improve your ability to learn. Peppermint has a refreshing effect on our mind during prolonged exertion.

8. Driving a car . You can also use this oil while driving a car to keep your focus, especially when you have not had enough sleep or are very tired.

9. Antidepressant . The aroma of peppermint oils relieves pessimistic moods and helps to perceive difficult situations more adequately. Peppermint essential oil is one of the mild natural antidepressants.

See also: Base oils. What is it and how to use them in aroma massage?

Skin care

10. Rashes . Menthol, which is part of mint, has a pronounced antiviral effect. Apply pure oil to herpetic vesicles several times a day.

11. Shave . Try using this oil as an aftershave for a nice cooling effect and soothes irritation. Remember to pre-mix with base . Or make a homemade cream two in one – for and after shaving.

12. Deodorant . Peppermint is a great natural deodorant. Just apply a couple of drops under the armpit.

13. Edema . Help tired and buzzing feet massage with mint oil . It activates blood circulation, removes swelling and changes heaviness to a pleasant lightness.

14. Physical activity . Improves endurance. You can use it before going to the gym to increase the intensity and effectiveness of your workouts.

See also: Deodorant – good or bad?

Antifungal agent

15. Dandruff . A few drops of Peppermint Oil added to your favorite shampoo will help get rid of dandruff and itchy scalp.

16. Fungus . Mint prevents the appearance of fungal infections.

Oral Care

17. Breathing . Peppermint essential oil is great for freshening breath and helping with bad breath. For this purpose, you can add 1 cap. oil to toothpaste, directly on a toothbrush, or in a regular face cream – thanks to its high bioavailability, it will get to the address pretty quickly. But please note that use as an additive to toothpaste is only possible for very high quality oils. And the cream as a carrier should be completely from natural ingredients.

18. Teeth . After tooth extraction, peppermint oil helps relieve pain and removes swelling. Do a rinse.

See also: 11 reasons to use mouthwash 4 19. Insects . By mixing peppermint essential oil with water, you get an effective repellant that repels mosquitoes, ants and flies.

20. Bites . When bitten by mosquitoes, mint oil mixed with base will perfectly relieve itching and inflammation after bites.

Peppermint essential oil is an important component of a natural home first aid kit that helps prevent illness, make it easier to endure the road and actively spend the day. It has no side effects, it is not addictive, and both children and adults love its fresh aroma

medicinal properties, contraindications, use, doctors’ reviews

It is a fragrant herbaceous perennial with small flowers that assemble in inflorescences. There is a legend that tells about love, deceit and the creation of mint. The patroness of streams and springs, in ancient Greek myths, the young nymph Mente was the beloved of Hades. But his wife, offended by their relationship, poisoned Menta. And as soon as the nymph drank the poisoned drink, she immediately disappeared, but a bush of juicy mint appeared instead.

Peppermint is a man-made, artificially bred plant that is rich in:

• menthol and essential oils;
• phytoncides;
• tannins;
• vitamins;
• carotenes;
• trace elements.

Medicinal properties of peppermint

The active components of peppermint irritate cold receptors, nerve and blood vessels. As a result of the response, the blood vessels dilate, which helps to reduce the severity of pain.

A decoction of peppermint leaves helps regulate blood pressure. Another useful property is the resistance to fermentation processes in the intestines, as well as the stimulation of peristalsis.

Due to the pronounced antiseptic action, it is actively used in various branches of medicine and even cooking. This effect is justified by the content of essential oils that inhibit spore-forming bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus.

Peppermint is added to herbal preparations for the treatment of cholecystitis, hepatitis and cholelithiasis.

Essential oils add peppermint to pastes, soak floss and even toothpicks. It has found application in dermatology and cosmetology.

Peppermint contraindications

Any medicinal plant, in addition to useful properties and indications, has contraindications and possible side effects. These include:

• low blood pressure – the use of mint at low pressure is contraindicated, because it contributes to the expansion of blood vessels and an even greater decrease in pressure, the constant use of mint causes serious consequences;
• varicose veins – due to a pronounced effect on blood vessels, the course of varicose veins is aggravated;
• allergic reactions – no one is immune from the formation of an allergy, even medicinal plants can provoke it and mint is one of them.
• decrease in libido in men – mint is useful for women’s health, but not for men: it is known that the constant use of peppermint is the cause of a decrease in libido function.
• attention disorders – preparations based on peppermint have a pronounced sedative effect and for those whose activities require increased concentration, mint is contraindicated.

Be careful: frequent use of peppermint depresses the strength of male libido! Photo: Pixabay

The use of peppermint

Peppermint is used not only in folk medicine, but also in traditional medicine, it is used to prepare medicinal preparations and cosmetics.

Pain reliever

Peppermint decoction will help relieve pain of any origin. Gargling the mouth and throat with a decoction helps to reduce pain somewhat. The analgesic effect is provided by a combination of a cooling effect and control of local blood circulation.

For the digestive system

Peppermint has a beneficial effect on the entire digestive system, improves peristalsis, resists fermentation processes, and therefore reduces the symptoms of flatulence. The decoction relieves nausea, heartburn, stomach pain.

For cystitis

Decoction

2 tbsp. spoons of mint pour 500 ml of boiling water and leave for 15 minutes.
Take 1 tbsp. spoon 4 – 5 times a day.

Respiratory

Despite the pronounced aroma, peppermint has a positive effect on the course of asthmatic attacks, but only if there are no allergic reactions. Decoctions of peppermint are prescribed for bronchitis, SARS.

Decoction

2 tbsp. spoons of dry peppermint leaves, brew 300 ml of boiling water and leave for 1.5 hours in a dark place.

Take 1 tbsp. spoon 4 – 5 times a day.

For the cardiovascular system

This medicinal plant has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the heart and blood vessels, improves blood circulation and controls blood pressure.

For the nervous system

Peppermint decoction relieves nervous tension, recommended for neurosis, hysteria, overexertion, depression and chronic stress. The therapeutic effect is achieved due to a pronounced sedative effect.

For women

Women with painful menstruation are also recommended to drink a decoction of mint.

Decoction

2 tbsp. Spoons of mint brew 500 ml of boiling water.
Take 150 ml twice daily.

Pregnant

Peppermint will help normalize the emotional background due to the sedative effect, resist colds, stop nausea in early pregnancy. However, you can use it only after consulting a doctor, because side effects are possible.

In cosmetology

Peppermint decoction will relieve skin problems. The decoction can be poured into an ice mold, and with these cubes wipe your face every morning.

Peppermint reviews

Olga Zorina, pharmacist, teacher of pharmacology, chief editor of MedCorr:

– Peppermint is actively used in diseases of the respiratory tract: pharyngitis, laryngitis, tracheitis and runny nose.