Spearmint Tea Benefits: What the Science Actually Shows

Before you read on:

• Spearmint is not peppermint that difference in chemistry explains why it behaves so differently in the body
• Two small clinical trials show it does shift androgen levels in women; the effect is real, the scale is modest
• The memory studies tested concentrated extracts, not cups of tea; industry funding is another limitation to consider
• The brewing section separates study durations from results you can realistically expect
• Every health claim in this article links directly to its source

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Spearmint makes a mild, caffeine-free cup. But what does the research actually support? There are some interesting findings, especially on androgen levels, and some big gaps between a promising study and a benefit you can expect from your mug.

What I found was more nuanced than most articles let on. Some benefits hold up well under scrutiny. Others rest on studies with real problems worth knowing about. A few are plausible but almost entirely theoretical. Here’s the honest version.

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What you’re actually drinking

Spearmint is Mentha spicata a mint, but not the same plant as peppermint (Mentha × piperita). The distinction matters because the two plants are built around completely different compounds.

Spearmint essential oil is often rich in carvone, while peppermint oil is typically rich in menthol. Spearmint leaves also contain rosmarinic acid and flavonoids; those are different from the volatile oil components. The 2021 phytochemistry review describes this chemistry. A milder taste does not, by itself, prove better digestive tolerance.

Spearmint is also completely caffeine-free. It’s an herbal infusion, not derived from the Camellia sinensis tea plant, so there’s no caffeine to account for.

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1. Digestive relief

Evidence: limited for spearmint tea alone. Laboratory mechanisms and combination-herb trials are not the same as a trial of brewed spearmint.

Laboratory work described in the phytochemistry review suggests antispasmodic activity. That gives researchers a reason to study digestive symptoms, but does not tell us whether an ordinary cup relieves bloating.

The clinical evidence needs a careful read. The most cited study is a 2006 pilot RCT that tested a herbal preparation called Carmint spearmint combined with coriander and lemon balm in IBS patients, finding real reductions in abdominal pain and bloating. The catch: with three herbs in the formula, spearmint’s individual contribution can’t be isolated. A 2021 review in the Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine looked specifically at carvone and flatulence, which is about as close to standalone spearmint data as the literature currently offers.

If you enjoy spearmint after a meal, that is a perfectly reasonable way to drink it. Just don’t treat it as an established IBS remedy or use it to put off care for persistent symptoms.

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2. Antioxidant activity — the most solid ground

Evidence: established antioxidant activity in laboratory tests; limited clinical evidence. A laboratory result does not establish a health benefit from drinking tea.

Rosmarinic acid is not a trace compound in spearmint it’s present in measurable concentrations and has demonstrated consistent free-radical scavenging activity across multiple lab studies, as reviewed in Mahendran et al. (2021). The plant also contains flavonoids that contribute to its overall antioxidant profile.

A 16-week trial in knee osteoarthritis compared high-rosmarinic-acid spearmint tea with commercial spearmint tea. Pain improved from baseline in the high-rosmarinic-acid group; stiffness and disability improved in both groups. That is worth studying further, but it does not show that an ordinary tea bag treats arthritis or that antioxidant activity caused the changes.

The preparation matters: the experimental tea had a particularly high rosmarinic acid content. Results from it cannot simply be applied to every spearmint product.

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3. Hormonal effects — real, modest, and worth understanding properly

Evidence: preliminary. One uncontrolled pilot and one small randomized trial found changes in hormone measurements.

This is why most people find this article. Let’s be thorough.

Spearmint appears to have anti-androgenic properties: it may reduce free and total testosterone while nudging LH, FSH, and estradiol upward.

Two small studies help explain the interest:

• A 2007 pilot study in 21 women with hirsutism found a notable reduction in free testosterone after drinking spearmint tea twice daily for five days. The number looks striking, but the study had no control group and a tiny sample it’s hypothesis-generating data, not proof.
• A 2010 randomised controlled trial in 42 women with PCOS ran for 30 days and found statistically significant reductions in total testosterone, with improvements in how participants rated their hirsutism. Objective hair-growth scores did not improve significantly compared with the control group. A longer trial would be needed to find out whether the hormone changes translate into visible benefits.

Both studies used two cups of spearmint tea per day.

These findings are a reason for further research, not a promise of clearer skin or less facial hair. If you have hormonal symptoms, discuss them with your clinician rather than choosing a tea as a treatment on your own.

For a deeper look at how this applies to PCOS specifically, see our guide to spearmint tea and PCOS.

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4. Memory and focus — extract research and its limits

Evidence level: Moderate, with a conflict of interest worth knowing about

A 2018 trial in 90 older adults with memory concerns found improved working-memory measures with 900 mg of extract daily for 90 days, along with better self-reported ability to fall asleep. A separate trial in 142 active adults found improved attention, but no significant differences in sleep, mood, or quality of life.

The studies had industry funding and company-affiliated authors. That is relevant context, not proof that the results are wrong. Independent confirmation would help establish how reliable and useful these findings are.

Both studies used a standardized extract. An ordinary cup has a different, variable composition, so the results do not establish a memory benefit from brewed tea.

Worth watching. Not worth acting on with full confidence yet.

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5. Skin, oral health, and stress — early signals, not conclusions

Skin and acne

The proposed mechanism is logical: spearmint reduces androgens → lower androgens reduce sebum production → less sebum means fewer breakouts. A 2017 in vitro study found spearmint essential oil reduced inflammatory markers in human skin cells in a lab setting. No clinical trial has yet tested spearmint tea directly on acne patients. The pathway is biologically plausible; the endpoint hasn’t been measured in humans.

Oral health

Spearmint’s essential oil inhibited Streptococcus mutans the main bacteria behind tooth decay in a 2023 lab study, and showed broad antibacterial activity against food-borne pathogens in a 2015 study. Both tested essential oil concentrations far higher than what’s present in brewed tea. Interesting direction; not a reason to replace your dental hygiene routine.

Stress and sleep

Carvone has shown interactions with GABA receptors the same pathway that many calming compounds target in animal and cell studies, as noted in the Mahendran 2021 review. The 2018 cognitive trial also noted improved sleep onset as a secondary finding. No standalone clinical trial exists for stress or sleep. Traditional use is consistent with a calming effect; the science hasn’t confirmed it yet.

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Spearmint vs. peppermint — a proper comparison

	Spearmint	Peppermint
Plant	SpearmintMentha spicata	PeppermintMentha × piperita
Key compound	SpearmintCarvone (dominant)	PeppermintMenthol (dominant)
Menthol content	SpearmintNegligible	PeppermintHigh
Taste	SpearmintMild, slightly sweet	PeppermintStrong, intensely cooling
Best known for	SpearmintPreliminary hormone research	PeppermintPeppermint oil has IBS evidence
Reflux tolerance	SpearmintIndividual tolerance varies	PeppermintCan be a trigger for some
Caffeine	SpearmintNone	PeppermintNone

The EMA information concerns peppermint oil, not simply peppermint tea. Spearmint is not automatically reflux-safe: a small study in healthy volunteers found more symptoms at a high dose without increased acid reflux.

For anyone weighing spearmint against caffeinated options with their own evidence profiles, our green tea benefits guide covers a very different set of mechanisms.

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How to brew it and what to realistically expect

Brewing: One tea bag or a spoonful of dried leaves in a standard cup of just-boiled water, steeped for several minutes longer for more depth, shorter if you prefer it mild. Find your threshold.

How much: The hormone studies used tea twice daily for five or 30 days. Those schedules are not an established treatment dose or long-term safety limit. For everyday brewing, follow the product instructions and your tolerance.

Realistic timelines — the part almost nobody tells you:

• Digestive comfort: no reliable timeline is established for spearmint tea alone
• Hormonal markers in bloodwork: within a few weeks in trials (2007, 2010)
• Skin, hair, and cycle changes: the studies do not establish whether or when these occur
• Cognitive findings: extract trials ran 90 days; they do not establish a timeline for brewed tea

Enjoy it warm or chill it after brewing. Lemon or honey changes the flavor; neither has been shown to preserve or enhance a hormonal effect.

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Who should be careful

A 90-day safety study tested 600 or 900 mg daily of a specific dried extract. It found no severe adverse events or significant group differences in reported adverse effects. That is reassurance for the studied preparation and participants, not a guarantee for every product or person.

If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, managing a health condition, or taking medicines, check before regular use for a health purpose. Our spearmint side-effects guide separates findings from precautions.

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Spearmint Tea Benefits: The Bottom Line

Spearmint has an interesting research profile: antioxidant compounds are well described, small tea studies found hormone changes, and extract trials found improvements in selected cognitive tests. Digestive and skin claims need more direct evidence.

You can enjoy the taste without expecting a treatment. If a health benefit is your reason for drinking it, check whether the supporting study tested tea and measured that benefit.

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Frequently Asked Questions