PAIN RELIEVING MINT
A team from Newcastle University in the UK has proven in a study on mice that Brazilian mint (hyptis crenata) has pain relieving qualities equal to commercially available analgesics. Hyptis crenata has been prescribed by Brazilian healers for millennia to treat various ailments. To ensure they used the treatment method prescribed by these healers, the Newcastle team found out in Brazil how best to prepare the herb as well as the best method of consumption. The latter proved to be a decoction of dried leaves steeped in boiling water for 30 minutes and allowed to cool before drinking. The team found that when the mint was given at a dose similar to that prescribed by traditional healers, the medicine was as effective at relieving pain as a synthetic aspirin-style drug. Lead researcher Graciela Rocha said, "What we have done is take a plant that is widely used to safely treat pain and scientifically proven that it works as well as some synthetic drugs. The next step is to find out how and why the plant works." They plan to launch clinical trials to find out how effective the mint is as a pain relief for people. The research is being presented at the International Symposium on Medicinal and Nutraceutical Plants in New Delhi, India.