Spearmint

Mentha spicata

A bright, cooling leaf used worldwide to settle the gut, freshen the breath, and clear the head.

At a glance

Sweet and grassy with a soft cooling lift — gentler than peppermint. The infusion glows pale green and finishes clean.

  • After-meal digestif tea
  • Iced summer cooler
  • Mocktail and confectionery
  • Gentle PCOS support

Modern research

Tradition

Strewn on Greek temple floors, named for the nymph Minthe, and central to North African tea culture. A near-universal after-meal digestif.

Modern evidence

Modestly helpful for functional dyspepsia and bloating. In small trials, twice-daily spearmint tea reduced free testosterone in women with mild PCOS-related hirsutism.