The Mint in Your Kitchen Isn't the IBS Mint

Kitchen Mint — สะระแหน่ (sa-ra-nae) — Mentha cordifolia.

Mint — sah-rah-nae. A meta-analysis found that peppermint-oil capsules eased IBS symptoms, but peppermint is a different species from this kitchen mint. The edible part here is the leaves. Their cool, sharp bite comes from menthol, and they add small amounts of vitamin A, folate, iron, and manganese. Vitamin A supports normal vision and helps keep your skin and immune system working. Folate helps your cells divide and build new blood, which matters most before and during pregnancy. Iron sits at the center of hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen through your blood. Manganese activates enzymes involved in normal bone formation and antioxidant defenses. In Thai cooking, Larb Moo is minced pork in a lime, fish sauce, and chili dressing, with toasted rice powder and fresh mint stirred in at the end, eaten with sticky rice and raw cabbage. Nam Tok Moo, or waterfall pork, spoons that same dressing over sliced grilled pork instead of minced, served with sticky rice and green papaya salad. The leaves are eaten fresh in salads and dips or steeped as tea. Mint spreads fast through underground runners, so give it its own pot.

Larb Moo — ลาบหมู (laab-moo)
Nam Tok Moo — น้ำตกหมู (nam-tok-moo)

Food and nutrients

Rich in: vitamin A, folate, iron, manganese

Research context

Mint's menthol relaxes gut muscle and eases irritable bowel symptoms — BMC Complement Med Ther, 2019 (peppermint)

Sources

Source: Alammar N et al. (2019). Peppermint oil on IBS: meta-analysis. BMC Complement Med Ther. PMID 30654773

Narration transcript

Opening

Kitchen mint — สะระแหน่, sa-ra-nae. Tear a leaf and the cool menthol hits before the flavor does — that icy bite is why it lands in Thai larb and nam tok right at the end, off the heat. The leaves are what you use, fresh, rarely cooked. Stir a handful in right before serving.

Larb Moo (ลาบหมู)

Larb moo is a minced-pork salad in a lime, fish sauce, and chili dressing, with toasted rice powder and fresh mint stirred in at the end. It's eaten with sticky rice and raw cabbage.

Nam Tok Moo (น้ำตกหมู)

Nam tok moo or waterfall pork, spoons that same dressing over sliced grilled pork instead of minced. It's served with sticky rice and green papaya salad.

Nutrition summary

Leaf for leaf, fresh mint is rich in iron and manganese, with a good amount of copper and folate.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A contributes to normal vision and helps maintain healthy skin and surface tissues.

Folate

Folate supports normal cell division and blood formation, and plays an especially important role before and during pregnancy.

Iron

Iron is part of hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen in your blood, and it supports normal energy metabolism.

Manganese

Manganese helps the body use food for energy and maintain normal connective tissue.

Closing

Fresh in salads and dips, or steeped as a bright tea — mint wants to be added late so it stays cool and green. It spreads fast underground, so give it its own pot or a sunken sleeve before it takes over the bed. Follow Longevity Biome, and LIKE this video for regular updates.

Related playlists