How Menthol Supports Your Body’s Health

Menthol is derived from peppermint oil or other varieties of the mint family. There exist more than 650 species of the mint plant, which grows almost exclusively in the temperate zones of our planet.

Menthol has been applied as a medicinal remedy for more than 3 millennia, starting with the ancient Greeks and Egyptians. Then, it was thought that mint could provide clarity of thought and rouse the passions.

Today, in addition to its medicinal qualities, the mint plant offers its menthol properties to many sweets, and even to mouthwash, cigarettes and culinary creations.

But it is menthol’s medicinal qualities that we are most interested in here. Its most common and purportedly useful applications include:

• In tea, to help cleanse the liver and reduce the occurrence of kidney stones
• Cleansing skin blemishes such as acne
• For the elimination of facial tics and spasms
• To suppress nervousness, and reduce stress and depressions
• In cough medicines and lip balms, to relieve sore throats
• As a common addition to chloroform sprays, for the relief of localized pain
• For its anti-viral properties, to combat herpes and other viruses
• As a way of providing instant relief from the torment of toothaches
• In topical analgesics to relieve headaches, migraines, muscle cramps and minor sprains
• To reduce muscle and joint inflammations
• Decongestants for nasal and chest congestion
• For the treatment of sunburns and other burns to the skin
• As a remedy for skin rashes, poison ivy, itching, athlete’s foot and the like
• To be applied on poison ivy rash, diaper rash and athlete's foot
• To relieve bad breath
• By air travelers, to help with the symptoms of motion sickness and with jetlag
• In first aid products to produce a cooling effect for serious burns
• In patches applied to children's foreheads, to reduce fevers
• As a tea, to ease the discomfort of bronchitis and to aid those suffering from digestive disorders, flatulence and to counteract vomiting
• To massage on the scalp, to reduce dandruff
• In female sexual dysfunction cremes and gels, where it acts as a vaso dilator and neuro-stimulant
• To relieve menstrual cramps
• As a libido enhancer for male sexual dysfunction
• To strengthen the muscles of the heart

As can be seen, many of the applications of menthol relate to the skin, because of its ability to provide instant cooling, as well as its antibacterial properties in dealing with localized traumas.

It is thought that the cool feeling experienced when menthol is applied to a specific area is due to its reaction with the skin’s thermoreceptors. We have more thermoreceptors that are designed to feel cold than those that are heat sensitive. The chemicals in menthol trigger the nerve cells in the area to which the menthol is applied, and since there are more cold-sensitive thermoreceptors, we feel a cool sensation.

Like all medicinal products, it is advisable to seek competent medical advice prior to using menthol. And, as probably goes without saying, you should avoid having any products containing menthol come into contact with your eyes.

Colin Albert runs the Euphoria for Women website. The site discusses information on female sexual dysfunction and features a natural product containing menthol that acts as a natural libido enhancer, for women of all ages & levels of sexual activity.