Most people can agree that peppermint and spearmint are great flavors, especially in the cold season!
Now that Halloween is behind us, Christmas is fast approaching, and stores are already getting filled up with all kinds of treats people love to eat during this season, including candy canes, mint chocolate, peppermint bark and more!
However, if you don’t want to limit yourself to only enjoying peppermint and spearmint in the winter, or if you want to stay healthy and avoid all the added sugar in such tasty treats, you might want to get your peppermint and/or spearmint fix in tea form!
That’s right, herbal tea is delicious and refreshing and it’s the way to get that minty goodness all year round all the while remaining healthy.
But before we talk about a few specific tea products you can order right now on Amazon, you might want to know the difference between spearmint and peppermint, as well as certain details like the benefits they offer and more!
After all, they certainly look similar but you’ll be surprised to find out that there are quite a few key differences such as the taste, nutritional content, practical applications, benefits and even the leaf shape.
As a result, we’ll be diving deeper into the two so you can make an informed decision when picking one of the two to order.
Of course, you are free to get one of each as well and try it for taste yourself but it’s still good to have some basics down and know which of the two is better for your health goals.
Spearmint Tea
- Advantages
Spearmint tea tastes rather fresh and sweet, does not contain any caffeine and aids your blood circulation and respiratory system.
Furthermore, you can even add it as a herb to certain savory dishes, taking the taste to the next level!
- Disadvantages
Not really a disadvantage but spearmint does not have as strong of a minty taste as peppermint and some people prefer the latter for this reason.
Peppermint Tea
- Advantages
As mentioned before, peppermint tea gives off a stronger menthol taste so if this is something you prefer, peppermint might be more your taste.
Furthermore, peppermint tea is caffeine free as well and can also soothe and reduce inflammation.
Finally, you will find that peppermint tea can be a great extra ingredient in certain desserts!
- Disadvantages
The strong menthol taste might be too much for some, in which case they will go for spearmint instead.
For the same reason, peppermint can make heartburn worse if that is something you’re dealing with.
At the end of the day, however, you’ll notice that the disadvantages in both cases are more about personal preference than anything.
In reality, both peppermint and spearmint tea are good for you thanks to being no-caffeine, zero-calorie options that will give you that fresh taste and energy boost!
Both of them can make a great fit depending on people’s unique health goals.
Differences
As far as the tea made out of these two plants is corned, what exactly are the differences?
Well, just like the plant, peppermint tea gives off a stronger, more pepper-like taste when compared to spearmint.
Thanks to its high menthol content, it also offers a strong, cooling sensation on the tongue, even while consumed hot.
On the other hand, spearmint tea has a lighter, sweeter flavor and is especially delicious in its iced form.
Both can be sold as fresh leaves or dried and poured in teabags for your convenience.
Both of them can be consumed at any time of the day due to the fact that they do not contain any caffeine.
However, it’s an especially good idea to drink either of these teas after a large meal since they have really effective digestive properties.
Classification
Mint tea is a general term that includes both spearmint and peppermint but also other mints such as Filed or Moroccan mint teas.
All of these plants are part of the same genus of closely related herbs but it’s important to know that they are not the same plant species.
Peppermint and spearmint are the most commonly used in teas and other products and they can grow up to a meter tall in large bushes.
Both have square stems and spear shaped leaves despite the fact that only one of them includes the word “spear” in its name.
Fairly enough, spearmint’s leaves are indeed a little more spear-shaped than peppermint’s.
Both of these plants’ leaves also have “hair,” spearmint winning quantity-wise here are well, and both
have leaves that grow in pairs, opposite from each other, creating a rather aesthetic criss-cross pattern when seen from above.
Peppermint stems are purple while spearmint has green stems with a little purple hue throughout.
Medical Applications
Thanks to its 40 percent menthol content, peppermint is naturally cooling, being able to lower your skin and mouth temperature.
This impressive feature makes peppermint a great plant for medical purposes such as:
– Protecting mucous membranes,
– Soothing aching or tired muscles,
– Easing stuffy nose, sore throat and coughing,
– Relieving and supporting digestion,
– Improving immunity,
– Reducing pain and inflammation in general,
– Eliminating bacteria of the mouth,
– Reducing bloating,
– Healing migraines,
– Calming stress and nerves in general,
– Helping get rid of bad breath,
– Treating upset stomachs,
– Relieving cramps.
Spearmint is good for your health as well! Its medical applications include:
– Improving blood circulation,
– Improving respiratory health,
– Easing nausea,
– Balancing hormones,
– Improving low blood sugar content,
– Lowering blood pressure,
– Reducing androgen levels,
– Reducing pain from Arthritis,
– Reducing stress and anxiety levels,
– Relieving hiccups,
– Improving memory and cognitive skills,
– Fighting bacterial infections.
Oh, and not really a medical application, but spearmint is a great mosquito repellent as well!
Both spearmint and peppermint tea are great for weight loss too since low calorie, hot beverages tend to hydrate your body and fill the stomach, curbing your appetite and leading to less eating.
Nutritional Value
As far as their nutritional content is concerned, peppermint tea has more vitamins A and C, while spearmint tea has twice the iron!
Furthermore, while peppermint has double the calories of spearmint, when consumed in its tea form, the calories are nothing to worry about either way.
Conclusion
At this point, hopefully it’s quite clear that whether you choose a peppermint tea or a spearmint one, it’s quite hard to go wrong with either!
After all, both of them are delicious, offer plenty of health benefits and are great for any time of the year.
With that being said, here are some peppermint and spearmint teas, sold in quite different packaging and forms, for you to try!
- Traditional Medicinals Organic Peppermint Herbal Leaf Tea
This peppermint tea comes in convenient little tea bags (96 of them in one package.)
The manufacturer sources organic and ethical peppermint, filled with essential oils.
It is non-GMO, USDA certified organic, Kosher and the tea bags are compostable.
The package includes 6 boxes, each one of them containing 16 tea bags.
- Allegro Tea, Organic Peppermint, Loose Leaf Tea
This is a loose leaf tea and is also Kosher.
The manufacturer promises a strong, refreshing mint flavor without any compromises in the tea’s sourcing.
- Harney and Sons Organic Peppermint Tea
The third product on our list comes in tea bag form and is also certified organic by USDA.
There are 50 total bags you can enjoy which means it will most likely last you for a while depending on how often you like to drink it.
Furthermore, it is sourced from Oregon, making it the only tea that comes from the United States.
- Traditional Medicinals Organic Spearmint Tea
The first spearmint tea on this list comes in bag form, which is great for those who want making tea to be a quick, convenient experience, rather than a whole process.
There are 96 tea bags in one package.
More precisely, one big case comes with six boxes, each containing 16 baggies.
It is certified organic, non-GMO, Kosher and sourced via an ethical trading partnership.
Doesn’t contain any of the 8 major allergens so it’s a great choice for people who struggle with different allergies.
- 3M the Tao of Tea, Spearmint Herbal Tea
This tea comes in loose leaves form, the ingredients being 100 percent organic.
The manufacturer promises a cool, refreshing and crisp but sweet menthol aroma.
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- McCormick Spearmint Tea Bags
The final entry on our list of peppermint and spearmint teas, the McCormick Spearmint Tea is great for those who deal with a lot of stress, thanks to its relaxing properties.
Making this tea is super easy and quick as well and can be served both hot and iced depending on your personal preference.
All you have to do is steep for three minutes and enjoy the delicious balance of flavors contained in this product.