EFFECTS OF ORGANIC FERTILIZERS ON GROWTH AND YIELD ...

American cuisine, mint sauce and mint jelly are used, respectively. Mint is a necessary
ingredient in Touareg tea, a popular tea in northern African and Arab countries. Alcoholic drinks
sometimes feature mint for flavor or garnish.
The substances that give the mints their characteristic aromas and flavors are menthol (the main
aroma of Peppermint and Japanese Peppermint) and pulegone (in Pennyroyal and Corsican
Mint). The compound primarily responsible for the aroma and flavor of spearmint is R-carvone.
Mints are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Buff Ermine.
Other important uses of Mint include
Medicinal and cosmetic
Mint was originally used as a medicinal herb to treat stomach ache and chest pains, and it is
commonly used in the form of tea as a home remedy to help alleviate stomach pain. During the
Middle Ages, powdered mint leaves were used to whiten teeth. Mint tea is a strong diuretic.
Menthol from mint essential oil (40%–90%) is an ingredient of many cosmetics and some
perfumes. Menthol and mint essential oil are also much used in medicine as a component of
many drugs, and are very popular in aromatherapy. Menthol is also used in cigarettes as an
additive, because it blocks out the bitter taste of tobacco and soothes the throat. The strong, sharp
flavor and scent of mint is sometimes used as a mild decongestant for illnesses such as the
common cold. In Rome, Pliny recommended that a wreath of mint was a good thing for students
to wear since it was thought to "exhilarate their minds".