Many people wonder if drinking peppermint tea during pregnancy is safe or not. Most experts seem to agree that an occasional cup of peppermint tea can do more good than harm, however, care should be taken to not consume it in excess.
Pregnancy is a time that all women look forward to. Bringing a new life into this world is a dream come true for every woman. However, it is not easy to adjust to the various ups and downs that are present in a pregnancy. Hormonal changes in the body lead to many problems, like morning sickness, constant feeling of nausea, mood swings, irritability, etc. However, you cannot just keep popping pills to deal with these problems because many drugs are contraindicated in pregnancy. Thus, this is the time when you need to turn to simple home remedies for dealing with symptoms like nausea and vomiting.
There are many different drinks, like coffee, which are not safe for consumption during pregnancy. This is because all doctors and midwives ask people not to have anything that contains caffeine during pregnancy. Thus, many women then tend to replace their pre-pregnancy coffee with herbal teas. However, not all herbal teas are safe for consumption either.
Sage tea, sassafras tea, and rosemary tea, should be avoided, especially in the first trimester, when you need to take extra care while the fetus is growing. Also, many of the teas which are commercially available and have different medicinal ingredients in large amounts can lead to miscarriage in early pregnancy, or may stimulate the uterus and induce labor. Thus, you need to check on consumption of which herbal tea is safe.
When it comes to peppermint tea, it is generally considered to be safe in early pregnancy, and, in fact, helpful for many reasons. Given below are the various benefits of drinking peppermint tea while pregnant.
Peppermint Tea During Pregnancy
- Having mint tea has a lot of benefits. One of the most common problems that pregnant women face is flatulence and nausea, along with morning sickness. Peppermint tea helps to relieve these symptoms and calms a nervous stomach. It also relieves pregnancy symptoms like cramping.
- One more reason is that peppermint tea is known to help boost the immune system. Thus, it helps to fight infections and pathogens that may try to bring about an infection during pregnancy.
- Common pregnancy symptoms include erratic mood swings and severe irritability. Peppermint tea help prevent anxiety and irritability by having a soothing effect on the body and mind.
- It is full of antioxidants, and protects the body from the harmful effects of free radicals.
- It helps relieve irritable bowel syndrome, and prevents intestinal cramping.
Along with peppermint tea, even raspberry leaf tea is said to be safe for consumption during pregnancy. Despite the many positives associated with mint tea, you need to ensure that you do not drink more than two to three cups of this tea in a day, because excess amounts of tea can lead to problems like diarrhea, or even heart palpitations in certain cases.
Also, if you have pre-existing conditions, like high blood pressure, diabetes, or gestational diabetes, then it is best to first consult your doctor, so that he may guide you about the consumption of peppermint tea. In most cases, this tea is perfectly safe, but if you do show symptoms of any kind arising due to intake of this tea, then visit a doctor and check with him first.
