Mint is light and rising, dispersing to release the exterior and expel pathogenic factors, and aids in the eruption of rashes. It can also be used for the initial stage of measles, or for cases where wind-heat binds the exterior, causing an obstructed rash eruption. It is often used in combination with Schizonepeta (Jing Jie), Arctium Fruit (Niu Bang Zi), and Forsythia Fruit (Lian Qiao).
“Mint flowers bloom, butterfly wings flutter; In autumn's grace, wind and dew play with leaves and branches. Alas, I envy not the cat's gentle touch, For I can get drunk by the fence without a coin.” Let's explore the wonderful uses of mint.
Mint has a rich, aromatic, and cooling fragrance that has always been loved by people. Its aroma is fragrant and non-toxic. The "Xiu Xiu Ben Cao" (Newly Revised Materia Medica) lists it in the vegetable category, stating it is "also suitable to be eaten raw." Many modern medicinal herbs or foods for soothing the throat also contain mint.
Mint is pungent and cool in nature, and enters the Lung and Liver meridians. The "Ben Cao Gang Mu" (Materia Medica): "Mint's pungent nature can induce sweating, and its cool nature can clear and drain; it specializes in dispelling wind and clearing heat." The effects of mint are to release wind-heat, clear the head and eyes, benefit the throat, and soothe the liver and resolve depression. Clinically, it is mainly applied in the following three aspects:
It is used for wind-heat exterior patterns. Both external contraction of wind-heat and the initial stage of warm diseases can manifest as a wind-heat exterior pattern, which mainly includes fever, slight aversion to cold with wind, no sweat or obstructed sweating, headache, thirst, sore throat, and a floating and rapid pulse. Mint is pungent and cool, and can disperse exterior pathogens and clear surface heat; therefore, it is used for wind-heat exterior patterns. Although it is a pungent and cool herb, its power to disperse and penetrate is strong, and it has a certain sweating effect. Thus, it is especially suitable for wind-heat exterior patterns with no sweat or obstructed sweating. The "Yi Xue Zhong Zhong Can Xi Lu" (Essential Records from the Heart of Medicine in Harmony) states: "Taking it can induce a cooling sweat, making it a key medicine for warm diseases that should be resolved by sweating." In clinical practice, it is often used in combination with Honeysuckle Flower (Yin Hua), Forsythia Fruit (Lian Qiao), and Schizonepeta (Jing Jiao), such as in the representative formula for wind-heat cold, Yin Qiao San.
Mint is light and rising, dispersing to release the exterior and expel pathogenic factors, and aids in the eruption of rashes. It can also be used for the initial stage of measles, or for cases where wind-heat binds the exterior, causing an obstructed rash eruption. It is often used in combination with Schizonepeta (Jing Jie), Arctium Fruit (Niu Bang Zi), and Forsythia Fruit (Lian Qiao).
It is used for diseases of the head, face, and sense organs. The head, face, and sense organs belong to the upper part of the body. Wind is light and rises upward, so both wind-heat or wind-cold pathogens can easily attack the head and face, causing symptoms such as headache, red and swollen eyes, nasal congestion with runny nose, toothache, and sore throat. Mint is light and rising, and can clear the head and eyes, and benefit the throat. Li Shizhen of the Ming Dynasty, in the "Ben Cao Gang Mu" section on mint, said: "Therefore, it is a key medicine for various diseases of the head, head-wind, eyes, throat, mouth, and teeth." When wind-heat attacks upwards causing headache, mint is often combined with Chrysanthemum (Ju Hua) and Angelica Dahurica (Bai Zhi) to treat headache. When wind-heat or heat pathogens attack upwards, they can cause sore throat, hoarseness, etc. Mint is a common medicine for treating sore throat and can be used with Platycodon Root (Jie Geng) and Licorice Root (Gan Cao). Mint's aromatic and pungent nature can open the nasal passages; for example, to treat sinusitis with yellowish turbid discharge and nasal obstruction, it can be used with Cocklebur Fruit (Cang Er Zi), Magnolia Flower (Xin Yi), and Angelica Dahurica (Bai Zhi).
It is used for liver depression and qi stagnation. The liver governs free flow of qi, and liver qi should be smooth and unobstructed. If due to emotional frustration or invasion of pathogenic factors that obstruct the liver meridians, causing the liver qi to lose its ability to flow smoothly, a liver depression and qi stagnation pattern will occur. Clinical manifestations include a feeling of fullness and pain in the chest and hypochondria, emotional depression, frequent sighing (editor's note:表现为常叹气，叹气后有舒畅感), or a feeling of a foreign body in the throat. In women, there may also be breast distension and pain, irregular menstruation, and dysmenorrhea. Mint can soothe the liver and resolve depression, and can be used to treat liver depression and qi stagnation. The "Ben Xin Bian" (New Compilation of Materia Medica) states: "Mint not only excels at dispelling wind evil, but also especially at resolving depression." For mild cases, mint alone can resolve the stagnation; for severe cases, it is often assisted with other herbs like Bupleurum (Chai Hu) to achieve its effect. For example, the famous formula Xiao Yao San (Powder for Relieving Depression) uses mint, combined with Bupleurum (Chai Hu) and White Peony Root (Bai Shao).
In addition, this aromatic herb can repel foul odors and can also be used to treat summer heat-dampness and turbid qi, causing conditions such as eruptive fevers (sha), abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. It is often used in combination with Agastache rugosa (Huo Xiang), Eupatorium fortunei (Pei Lan), and Hyacinth Bean (Bai Bian Dou).
In addition to internal use, mint can be applied externally for summer heat rash, mosquito bites, sores, and boils, providing a cooling and comfortable sensation after use. Mint is also commonly used in the preparation of dishes, pastries, and beverages, making it a common food therapy item. Zan Yin's "Shi Yi Xin Jing" (Heart Mirror of Dietetic Therapy) states: "Mint can be decocted with fermented black soybeans to warm wine and drink, or decocted as tea, eaten raw, all of which are appropriate. It is a beneficial vegetable." In modern times, the essential oil obtained by distilling fresh mint stems is often called "mint crystal" or "mint frost" in prescriptions, with functions similar to mint.
It should also be noted that mint is aromatic and pungent, with a certain sweating effect. Excessive use can easily consume qi. Therefore, individuals who are deficient in constitution or have excessive sweating should not use it.