Nausea Be Gone: Peppermint To The Rescue!

“Mommy, will you please pray that I don’t throw up”?  This is a sweet plea I’ve heard many times from one of my girls over the years, and I heard it yet again this morning.  Throwing up is a near traumatizing experience for some people (including some of my girls).

When the word “stomach ache” reaches my ears, I immediately go to my essential oil drawer for peppermint oil.  Peppermint has calming and pain-numbing properties that help to settle those stomach storms.

Peppermint To The Rescue For Nausea

There are a few different ways you can use peppermint for nausea.  The quickest and most convenient way for me {as I already said} is to grab the essential oil. {I buy here.}  Now, there are conflicting opinions out there on whether you can apply peppermint oil “neat” {without diluting it}, or whether you should blend it with a carrier oil.  Some people think you should never apply an oil neat because it can make you become sensitive to it to the point that you can never use that particular oil again.  Others think that its completely safe for a very few select oils {like lavender, tea tree, and peppermint}.  While I use essential oils often, I have not studied them like herbs and therefore do not have a decided opinion on this.  I received a free essential oil course {worth $95} when I purchased the Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle a few months ago.  I probably won’t have the time to study the course until this summer, but I can’t wait to learn more about essential oils!  Perhaps I will come to a more decided opinion myself on this subject.

To use peppermint oil for nausea, mix 3 drops of peppermint oil with a carrier oil like almond oil, or olive oil.  Apply behind the ears and around the navel.  Watch a 32 second demonstration video here.  Repeat this as often as needed throughout the day.

You can also make peppermint tea to drink internally.  Add 1-2 tsp. of dried leaves {I buy mine here}, or 2-4 tsp. of fresh peppermint leaves to a cup of boiling water.  Remove from heat, cover and steep for 5-10 minutes.  Strain off the herbs and drink.  Drink as many cups as needed.  I absolutely love the refreshing taste of peppermint tea.  I really enjoy it mixed with other herbs as well to make a tea naturally sweeter and healthier.  {Mama’s Red Raspberry Brew is one of my FAVORITE tea mixes with peppermint!}

Most tummy aches are much better within minutes of using peppermint, but if the nausea continues, I know that I’m dealing with something a little more acute.  I then make an activated charcoal slurry.  Activated charcoal absorbs any bacteria or viruses that could be upsetting the stomach.  Mix 1 tbsp. of charcoal {or 1 tsp. for children} into a glass of water and drink immediately.  Follow with another glass of water to avoid constipation.  Repeat later if needed.

I also add Tummy Tuneup to the routine if the nausea is more acute.  Tummy Tuneup has specific strains of probiotics that really “calm the stomach storms” as they claim.  I have been impressed several times witnessing this probiotic really help stomach problems in my own children and other family members as well.  {They really helped me for a time with my severe pregnancy nausea!}  I open a capsule and sprinkle it on yogurt or applesauce for those that cannot swallow a pill.  Read more about how this probiotic works here.

On a side note: Peppermint is not recommended until after the 4th month of pregnancy, and the oil is not recommended at all for pregnancy or nursing.  Some herbalists do not recommend drinking peppermint at all in pregnancy, while some say it’s fine in small amounts.  I drank the Mama’s Red Raspberry Brew by the daily glassfuls during pregnancies {because it is sooo good for you and baby}, which does contain peppermint.  However it is not straight concentrated peppermint.

What do you find naturally effective for nausea?

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