Papaya - a world class meat tenderizer, natural digestive aid, prevents ulcers, and also a soft contact lense cleaner.Mints The Safety Factor
As dried plant Material, neither spearmint nor peppermint has been reported to cause problems. On rare occasions, however, the sharp, pungent fragrance of concentrated mint oils have caused gagging in young children. If you give mint teas to infants, use dilute infusions.
Alert: If ingested, pure menthol is poisonous. As little as a teaspoon (about 2 grams) can be fatal. Do not ingest pure menthol. Pure peppermint oil has also been found to produce toxic effects, such as cardiac arrhythmias. So stay away from pure peppermint oil, too.
Other Cautions
Peppermint and spearmint are included in the Food and Drug Administration’s list of herbs generally regarded as safe. For otherwise healthy non-pregnant, non-nursing adults, they are considered safe in amounts typically recommended.
Mints should be used in medicinal amounts only in consultation with your doctor. If mints cause minor discomforts, such as stomach upset or diarrhea, use less or stop using it. Let your doctor know if you experience unpleasant effects or if the symptoms for which the herb is being used do not improve significantly in two weeks.
Almost Too Easy to Grow
Spearmint is a perennial that reaches 2 feet and spreads by underground root runners. It has the mint family’s characteristic square stems with wrinkled, lance-shaped, serrated, 2-inch leaves, and flower spikes with whorls of small white, pink, or lilac flowers, which bloom in midsummer.
Peppermint looks like spearmint, except it grows somewhat taller, spreads by surface runners, has stems with a purplish cast, and has longer, less-wrinkled leaves.
Mints crossbreed so easily, it’s often impossible to tell what’s sprouting from seeds. The best way to propagate true peppermint or spearmint is to use root cuttings. Any piece of root with a joint or node can produce a plant. Contain your mint bed or plant in containers. In rich, moist, well-drained soil, under full sun or partial shade, spreading mints may become pests.
Frequent cutting encourages bushiness. Leaves may be harvested as they mature Cut the entire plant within a few inches of the ground when the first flowers appear. Most species become woody after a few years. Dig them out and replant new root cuttings.