Peppermint oil can reduce high blood pressure

If your blood pressure is a little on the high side, taking some peppermint oil could be all it takes to get it back to a healthy score.

People who took 100 microliters of peppermint oil twice a day for 20 days reduced systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading) by an average of 8.5mmHg, researchers from the University of Lancashire have discovered.

Its natural compounds, menthol and flavonoids, could be the reason why the oil has such a positive effect on blood pressure, the researchers think.

They tested it on a group of 40 people with prehypertension or stage 1 hypertension; half were given the oil, and the rest took a placebo oil that tasted of peppermint.

The real oil didn’t only reduce systolic levels, it could also improve body measurements, blood test results, diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number in a blood pressure reading), heart rate, mental well-being and sleep quality if it was taken for long enough, the researchers say.

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