We relate with Mint Leaves (pudina) as a garnish over our Biryanis and curries, an essential ingredient for our salads, raita or chutneys and as a mouth freshener. Additionally, we also love mint-flavoured mocktails, chewing gums or candy. This humble kitchen ingredient herb is more than just that, in this article, we’ll see the Mint Leaves health benefits along with ways in which you can incorporate Pudina in your diet.
Though some of us take its presence in our food for granted, Pudina leaves have a host of health benefits, being a part of our diet for centuries.
Here are some of the Benefits of Eating Mint Leaves:
- Helps relieve indigestion: Pudina Leaves stimulate the enzymes in our digestive system. It has antibacterial and antiseptic properties that relieves stomach infections, indigestion and other symptoms. The presence of Menthol enhances the nutrition of mint leaves by acting as an anti-spasmodic remedy.
- Helps with Oral Disorders: If you have had strong, spicy food which resulted in a bad breath, chewing on a couple of Mint leaves can help freshen your breath. In fact, many smokers chew mint flavoured gum or candy to hide the smell of tobacco in their breath. Using toothpaste with Menthol can help you keep your mouth cavity clean besides helping to clear the plaque on your teeth.
- Acts as a brain tonic: Studies done on mint leaves have concluded that mint leaves help in staying alert. They are also known to improve memory power and cognitive functions.
- Increases Immunity:Mint contains a lot of antioxidants and vitamins to boost your immunity. What’s more, it also safeguards your body against cancer causing tumour formations.
- Helps in weight loss: Mint leaves boost metabolism which, in turn, helps you in loosing weight. With Calories in mint leaves being almost nil, mint tea is a great calorie-free beverage which you can have to shed those extra kilos.
- Helps in relieving Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): Irritable Bowel Syndrome, a common disorder in the digestive system can cause constipation, stomach pain, diarrhoea, indigestion and bloating. Doctors prescribe a change of diet for IBS where one of the main foods suggested in mint oil. Menthol gives the muscles of the digestive tract a relaxing effect.
- Beats Stress and Depression: The aromatic strong smell of Mint refreshes and rejuvenates your mind. You can add mint to tea, or use its extract on a vapourizer. It helps those who are to beat stress and depression.
- Helps in reducing breastfeeding pain: It is common amongst breastfeeding mothers to experience cracked and sore nipples, making the whole breastfeeding exercise hard and painful. The medicinal value of Mint helps reduce this pain when applying it through a mint oil at the affected area.
4 Ways You Can Add Pudina(Mint Leaves) to Your Diet:
The taste and aroma of Pudina is something that we love, especially as a garnish in various dishes. In fact, many housewives grow this in their homes, getting a fresh supply whenever needed. Mint can be used in various other ways than we previously thought-here are some of them
- Mint Tea: This is for you, Chai lovers! A cup of mint tea is all that you need for boosting your mental health. Boil some water and add a few mint leaves to it. Once you get the aroma of mint, you can then strain the tea and add some honey and lemon to it.
- Mint Soup: The taste of soups is elevated with a twig of Pudina added to it. This is not the only way you can add Pudina to your diet- a Pudina soup is one way you can stay healthy. You can make this easily by adding some mint leaves, vegetable stock and green peas in a blender and turning this into a smooth paste. In a saucepan, you can add some butter, garlic, and chopped onion to a boil and then add this paste to it. Bring to a boil after adding some white pepper and salt to it. Once it attains a soupy consistency, you can serve this hot.
- Salad with mint: Adding a few leaves of Pudina to your salad can enhance its taste several notches higher. In fact, adding some Pudina to ANY salad can work wonders.
- Pudina Chutney: For many of us, our evening snacks are incomplete without a chutney to dip them with. You can make one easily at home by adding one and a half cup of mint leaves, one chopped onion, one cup coriander leaves, one green chilly, a few cloves of garlic and some chopped ginger to a mixer and grinding it to a paste. Add a little bit of curd and you’re good to go.
Summing it up
The ubiquitous mint leaves are more than just for their taste. Its various health benefits should be enough for you to add more of it to your daily diet, especially if you are looking forward to a healthier tomorrow.
