Peppermint oil is the essential oil taken from the flowering parts and leaves of peppermint, a natural cross between water mint and spearmint. As a supplement, often in enteric-coated capsules, it is used mainly for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and also promoted for indigestion, headaches and nausea.
Also known as: peppermint, Mentha x piperita, enteric-coated peppermint oil.
Peppermint oil has no intake value or upper limit, and the sources we cite do not set an amount, so we do not list one.
It is sold in the US as a dietary supplement. Under the 1994 dietary supplement law (DSHEA), FDA does not approve dietary supplements before they are marketed, and the maker, not FDA, is responsible for safety and labeling.
On IBS, NCCIH says a small amount of research suggests enteric-coated peppermint oil may improve symptoms in adults, and that a 2021 American College of Gastroenterology guideline recommends it for overall IBS symptoms. A 2022 meta-analysis of 10 trials with 1,030 people (Ingrosso) found it better than placebo for overall symptoms (about 1 in 4 people helped who would not have been on placebo) and for abdominal pain (about 1 in 7), but side effects were more common and the quality of evidence was very low. NCCIH says peppermint oil alone has not been shown to help indigestion and may worsen it in some people.
Safety, per NCCIH: by mouth it can cause heartburn, nausea, abdominal pain and dry mouth, and rarely allergic reactions; capsules are often enteric-coated to reduce heartburn. On the skin it can cause rash and irritation. It should not be applied to the face of infants or young children, because inhaling the menthol may cause serious breathing effects. Little is known about medicinal amounts in pregnancy or breastfeeding.
We could not find a published half-life or time to peak for peppermint oil that we could cite, so we do not list one.
How Dose Track handles peptides · Reconstitution calculator · Half-life calculator