i have done researches on spearmint tea findings. And alot websites even BBC news have reported that the turkish finding have proven that Spearmint tea can help hirsutism. Unfortunately i couldnt locate any spearmint tea in singapore, thus i try to take peppermint tea. really really hope that it will help. (some said that it has successfully helped them by reducing hair... hope i will success too)
If you dont mind, come and take a look at these:
Reuters News:
NEW YORK - A few mugs of spearmint tea could help women combat excess facial and body hair, Turkish researchers report. Women with excess body hair, a condition known as hirsutism, who drank two cups of the herbal tea a day for five days showed significant reductions in their levels of free testosterone, Dr. Mehmet Numan Tamer and colleagues from Suleyman Demirel University in Isparta report. Typical treatments for hirsutism target excess levels of male hormones, and include oral contraceptives to prevent the production of these hormones or drug treatment to block the body's response to them, Tamer and his team point out in the journal Phytotherapy Research. The researchers previously noted that drinking peppermint tea seemed to lower the libido in some men, which prompted them to investigate spearmint as an anti-hirsutism treatment. Hirsutism is characterized by excessive hair growth on the face, breasts and belly, and affects about 5 percent of women. It is thought to be related to the body's level of androgens (male hormones). The researchers had 21 women with hirsutism drink a tea prepared from a heaping teaspoon of dried spearmint leaves twice daily. Twelve of the women had polycystic ovary syndrome, while the rest had hirsutism with known cause. After five days, the women's levels of free testosterone (the biologically active form) declined, although their total testosterone level stayed the same. Women's levels of luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone, and estrogen rose, while their triglyceride levels dropped significantly. Women with high male hormone levels may also have high levels of triglycerides, insulin resistance, and obesity, the researchers note. "Spearmint can be an alternative to antiandrogenic treatment for mild hirsutism. However, further studies are needed for testing the reliability and availability of spearmint as a drug for hirsutism," the researchers conclude.
BBC News:
Spearmint tea may help to control excessive hair growth in women, say Turkish researchers.
Drinking the tea twice a day, reduced levels of male sex hormones, which can cause excessive hair growth (hirsutism) on the stomach, breasts and face. Treatment for hirsutism, usually involves drugs to reduce the levels of androgen or male hormones in the body. Writing in Phytotherapy Research, the Turkish scientists said spearmint could be a good natural alternative therapy. Hirsutism is rarely caused by a serious illness but excess hair growth in women can cause distress or embarrassment.
In some cases, hirsutism may be a result of an underlying medical disorder, such as polycystic ovary syndrome. All women produce small amounts of the male sex (or androgen) hormones, which includes testosterone, but it is the over production of the hormones that leads to excessive hair growth. According to the researchers, extracts of spearmint plant (Mentha spicata Labiatae) had been reported to reduce libido in men in a town called Isparta in southwest Turkey, possibly due to reduced androgen hormone levels. To look at the effects in women, 21 volunteers with hirsutism, 12 of whom had polycystic ovary syndrome, were given a cup of spearmint tea twice a day for five days in the follicular (when the ovarian follicle develops) phase of their menstrual cycle. They made the tea by pouring a cup (250ml) of boiling water over one heaped teaspoon (5g) of dried leaves, and leaving it for five to 10 minutes. Testosterone The researchers found a significant decrease in free (active) testosterone in the blood and an increase in several female hormones including follicle-stimulating hormone. However, there was no decrease in overall testosterone levels, suggesting that more of the hormone was bound to protein in the bloodstream and was inactive. Spearmint could affect the metabolism of hormones such as testosterone or directly affect synthesis of androgen hormones, the researchers suggest. More work is needed to test the reliability of spearmint in treating mild hirsutism, warned lead researcher, Professor Mehmet Numan Tamer. "Current therapies use either oral contraceptives to suppress androgen production, or medications such as spironolactone that prevent the body responding to androgen - but this study shows that spearmint could be a good natural alternative for women who have mild symptoms. "We now need to do further studies to test the reliability of this finding, and to see the extent to which the reduced androgens do help women with mild hirsutism," she said. Professor Richard Sharpe, principal investigator at the MRC Human Reproductive Sciences Unit in Edinburgh said the study was yet another indication that naturally occurring plant products can have an effect on human hormones. But he warned that women suffering from hirsutism or polycystic ovary syndrome needed proper medical treatment. "It's a relatively modest change and they haven't shown in this study if it would have any consequence for the women. "For a lot of plant derived compounds, it's difficult to take it from this type of general observation to study the mechanisms and finding what the active compound is. "If you suffer from hirsutism or polycystic ovary syndrome you would want to get a thorough work up and conventional treatment, as it depends what it causing it," he said
(sorry... as i am a newbie, i cant post urls, but i really wanna help)
i have done researches on spearmint tea findings. And alot websites even BBC news have reported that the turkish finding have proven that Spearmint tea can help hirsutism. Unfortunately i couldnt locate any spearmint tea in singapore, thus i try to take peppermint tea. really really hope that it will help. (some said that it has successfully helped them by reducing hair... hope i will success too)
I'm a regular drinker of peppermint tea for my stomach and didn't notice anything from it. I started drinking spearmint tea on saturday so I will update to see if it has any effect. I really want to see if this works for growing scalp hair.
That's interesting. I'm seeing my endo next week and he's a big advocate for "all natural" remedies before proceeding with meds. I'll ask him and then I'll probably try it for the hair loss I'm currently experiencing.
I've been looking for something I could safely do while ttc and this looks like it!
__________________ Dx PCOS w/ IR 4/05 High Cholesterol 9/00 Glumetza (Metformin) 2000mg
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Just an FYI, Traditional Medicinals sells a Spearmint Tea. It's a popular brand being sold in Whole Foods and PCC Markets. You can also buy through their Web site. http://www.traditionalmedicinals.com/?id=35&pid=50
__________________ Dx PCOS w/ IR 4/05 High Cholesterol 9/00 Glumetza (Metformin) 2000mg
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I just randomly started drinking peppermint tea as a caffeine free alternative and I had no idea it might help my mild PCOS symptoms, i could definitely lose some of that dark excess hair under my chin, arms and well every where. So I researched side effects, and i found that it is mostly used to calm anxiety and help with intestinal issues.The Menthol oil has muscle relaxing qualities. All sounds great except if you have acid reflux issues which i do. Apparently it relaxes the sphincter at the top of yr stomach, so when you lie down to sleep at night it allows the stomach acids to escape more easily into yr esophagus. I would imagine avoiding drinking it close to bedtime is a good idea.
KB.