Herbal teas, in general, are recommended by health experts because they can provide relief for various conditions. Among these is peppermint tea which is useful for treating indigestion, nausea, irritable bowel syndrome, and other intestinal issues. Some professionals also recommend taking peppermint tea in pregnancy while some others doubt the safety of peppermint tea. Pregnancy is the period when great precautions are required. Read for the safety, benefits, and disadvantages of peppermint tea in pregnancy.
Is Peppermint Tea Safe in Pregnancy?
Peppermint tea is generally safe to drink during pregnancy. As with all other supplements and dietary items, moderation in consumption is of key importance here. Peppermint tea is particularly useful for relieving nausea, upset stomachs, morning sickness, and dizziness during pregnancy. There are also some special herbal tea mixes targeting pregnant women. These also include peppermint and therefore endorse its safety.
How Much Can You Take?
Doctors recommend taking no more than two cups of peppermint tea in a day. Excessive drinking of this tea can lead to increased heartburn, particularly in pregnant women who have suffered from GERD. It can also aggravate the symptoms associated with gallstones. Other than practicing moderation, it is also advisable to use filtered teabags for such herbal teas.
Benefits and Risks of Peppermint Tea in Pregnancy
Drinking peppermint tea has both its advantages as well as disadvantages. Here come the benefits of peppermint tea in pregnancy:
Relieve Gastrointestinal Disorders
Drinking peppermint tea allows the digestive health of the mother to improve drastically. It is a known reliever of gastrointestinal disorders. During pregnancy, the body goes through so many changes and many women complain about experiencing indigestion and bloating. Peppermint tea relieves both symptoms by helping the stomach muscles relax. Peppermint tea can also relieve gas and cramps, as well as soothe the stomach.
Ease Morning Sickness
Peppermint tea is a known cure for nausea and vomiting. Morning sickness is something that accompanies most if not all pregnancies. The smell of the peppermint works as an antispasmodic, thereby reducing the urgency to vomit. Many women have endorsed the use of peppermint tea for relieving morning sickness.
Soothe the Airways
Peppermint tea can also help relieve respiratory issues during pregnancy. The antispasmodic aspect of the tea allows the airways and the muscles of the respiratory tract to relax.
Other Benefits
Peppermint tea boosts the immune system so that bacterial infections may not easily attack the mother. Pregnancy can be a very stressful period of time for the mother and peppermint tea can help relieve this stress. The soothing effect of the herb lowers the blood pressure as well as the body temperature, thereby preventing the stress hormones to cause internal harm to the body.
On the other hand, peppermint tea does have some side effects and therefore caution should be demonstrated when ingesting it during pregnancy.
Increase the Risk of Miscarriage
If peppermint tea is consumed in the more sensitive part of the pregnancy, it could make the uterus relax and increase the risk of premature birth or even a miscarriage. This is not a prevalent issue, but doctors do recommend that women who have previously had miscarriages avoid drinking peppermint tea. In addition, it should be noted that drinking peppermint tea while breastfeeding is also not recommended.
Interact with Medications
Peppermint tea may interact with some medications that a pregnant mother is taking. Many women use prenatal vitamins and supplements as recommended by their gynecologists, but peppermint tea may inhabit their proper function.
Cause Allergic Reactions
Taking peppermint tea during pregnancy can also cause the expecting mother to experience allergic reactions, particularly if the mother is allergic to menthol and menthol products. In addition, women who have asthma problems should avoid peppermint tea. Pregnancy with other medical conditions may require doctor's advice before consuming any herbal tea or supplement.
Other Risks
Consuming too much peppermint tea during pregnancy can cause muscular pain, drowsiness, irregular heartbeats, and tremors in the limbs.
Precautions for Drinking Herbal Tea in Pregnancy
There are other herbal teas that can also be consumed during pregnancy to relieve the discomforts that are experienced as the body changes during pregnancy. These include ginger tea, red raspberry leaf tea, cranberry tea, chamomile tea, and thyme tea.
There are also some teas that must not be consumed at all costs over the course of the pregnancy. These include alfalfa, black cohosh, blue cohosh, comfrey, dong quai, ephedra, goldenseal, hibiscus, kava, horehound, lemongrass, licorice, rosemary, sage, yarrow, yerba mate, vetiver, and sassafras teas.
