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Spearmint Oil's Surprising Potential: Treats Anti-Bacterial Resistant Strains of MRSA and E.coli

May 27, 2024by Ashley Zuniga

Spearmint Oil's Surprising Potential: Treats Anti-Bacterial Resistant Strains of MRSA and E.coli

Spearmint Oil Treats Anti-Bacterial Resistant Strains of MRSA

Spearmint is a well-known culinary herb, used often in sugary deserts, gums and candies. However, recent scientific studies have highlighted the potential of spearmint essential oil as a potent antibacterial agent against various antibiotic-resistant strains.

One study comparing multiple mint oils found that spearmint oil exhibits the highest antibacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), a common and often resistant pathogen (1).

Another study found that spearmint oil had significant bactericidal activity, even on extensively drug-resistant strains of Escherichia coli. The authors found that spearmint oil had a prolonged inhibitory effect, and surprisingly also improved the intestinal barrier.

These findings are consistent with many other studies reporting the growth inhibition and antimicrobial effects of spearmint oil on a range of bacterial pathogens, including Micrococcus luteus, Salmonella typhimurium, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Important Points:

Spearmint is high in carvone, which acts as an antispasmodic in the gut.
Spearmint oil has over 40 unique compounds that research has shown to have antiproliferative effects against human tumor cell lines (4).
Spearmint also decreases androgens, such as testosterone, helping to balance hormone levels and prevent conditions exacerbated by excess testosterone, like some cancers (5).

*Disclaimer

High doses of spearmint can be harmful to the liver and kidneys. For individuals with pre-existing liver or kidney conditions, consuming large amounts of this herb may worsen their condition. Even drinking spearmint tea in excess could pose risks to liver and kidney health. Therefore, it is not recommended to take large quantities, including spearmint supplements, alongside medications that are known to cause liver damage, such as acetaminophen, amiodarone, carbamazepine, isoniazid, methotrexate, methyldopa, fluconazole, and others. Additionally, spearmint should not be combined with natural products that can harm liver health, such as niacin, DHEA, comfrey, chaparral, pennyroyal oil, and red yeast rice.

References

1). Horváth, P., & Koščová, J. (2017). Antibacterial Activity of Mentha Essential Oils Against. Folia Veterinaria, 61(3), 71-77.

2). Hejna, M., Kovanda, L., Rossi, L., & Liu, Y. (2021). Mint oils: In vitro ability to perform anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities and to enhance intestinal barrier integrity. Antioxidants, 10(7), 1004.

3). Chao, S., Young, G., Oberg, C., & Nakaoka, K. (2008). Inhibition of methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) by essential oils. Flavour and Fragrance Journal, 23(6), 444-449.

4). Bardaweel SK, Bakchiche B, ALSalamat HA, Rezzoug M, Gherib A, Flamini G. Chemical composition, antioxidant, antimicrobial and Antiproliferative activities of essential oil of Mentha spicata L. (Lamiaceae) from Algerian Saharan atlas. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2018 Jul 3;18(1):201.

5). Donnelly, R. (2017). Anti-Androgenic Effects of Spearmint Tea (Mentha Spicata).