Hormone imbalances are a characteristic feature of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) – you can read more about the many imbalances in my article Understanding PCOS. But research has shown that a simple treatment may help to balance one of the most common hormone imbalances in PCOS – elevated testosterone.
Researchers have found that drinking spearmint tea, two cups per day over a 30 day period decreased free and total testosterone levels compared to a group consuming a different placebo herbal tea. More importantly, the women in this study self-reported improvements in hirsutism (abnormal hair growth patterns).
This finding is remarkable for a number of reasons. First – improvements in testosterone levels can lead to more regular ovulation in women with PCOS and decrease symptoms associated with elevated testosterone (such as acne). Second – a decrease in hirsutism after just 30 days of study is a result many women with PCOS would be pleased to experience. A longer duration of spearmint tea use would likely result in more significant improvements in abnormal hair growth due to time needed to see changes in hair follicle response to androgen hormones.
Spearmint tea is also delicious, inexpensive and easy for most women to incorporate into their daily routines. Discuss with your Naturopathic Doctor whether spearmint tea might be a useful addition to your PCOS treatment plan!
Disclaimer
The advice provided in this article is for informational purposes only. It is meant to augment and not replace consultation with a licensed health care provider. Consultation with a Naturopathic Doctor or other primary care provider is recommended for anyone suffering from a health problem.
Reference:
Grant P. Spearmint herbal tea has significant anti-androgen effects in polycystic ovarian syndrome. A randomized controlled trial. Phytother Res. 2010 Feb;24(2):186-8.
[…] Spearmint Tea for PCOS […]
Thanks for article, but what if i drink the spearmint for more then 30 days, would that be safe? Also would i notice more improvement in hirsutism, i have it pretty bad, it really course actually like a mans chin hairs ? Would this really be beneficial too me?
Yes, long term use of spearmint tea is absolutely safe. Spearmint has GRAS (generally regarded as safe) status from the FDA – this means that it is unlikely to cause health issues in food doses (i.e. 2 cups of tea per day). For the treatment of hirsutism it is an important part of an overall plan – I’ve seen it work alone, but most often I like to combine it with other treatments like zinc and saw palmetto.
~Dr. Lisa
https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=182.20
Is spearmint tea okay to drink during pregnancy?
In food doses (so as a tea, 1-2 times per day), spearmint is considered ok. Animal studies have shown that high doses of spearmint damaged the uterine tissue of rats. The FDA has given spearmint GRAS status (generally recognized as safe), so I consider it safe as a tea in pregnancy.
~Dr. Lisa