Candy Canes Fight Germs, Settle Stomachs

Jennifer Viegas, Discovery News


Dec. 24, 2008 -- New studies on peppermint, the key flavoring in traditional candy canes, reveal the herb may do everything from kill germs to treat digestive troubles.


Some researchers now advise consumers to eat a tablespoon or more of fresh peppermint, and other green herbs, daily.

Peppermint oil, found in most candy canes, also appears to have health benefits. A recent British Medical Journal study, led by McMaster University researcher Alex Ford, concludes that peppermint oil should be the first line of defense against irritable bowel syndrome, a condition characterized by abdominal pain and irregular bowels that affects between 5 to 20 percent of the population.

Peppermint oil, and other potent essential oils, may even one day be wafted in their vapor form over food to prevent the growth of bacteria.

"Most of the (effective) species are really from the family Lamiaceae, or mint family," Pavel Kloucek, a scientist at the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, told Discovery News.

Kloucek and his team analyzed several essential oils to see how well they could, in vapor form, kill the bacteria responsible for Listeria, Staph, E. coli, and Salmonella infections, and more.

While peppermint's germ-killing powers have been previously documented, the new study is the first to report the antimicrobial activity of two other mint family members -- Mentha villosa and Faassen's catnip -- along with another non-mint herb, bluebeard.

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/12/24/candy-canes-germs.html

I think I'll be going out and stocking up on candy canes at clearance prices, now! :woohoo:

It's good to see science catching up with info the health food industry and naturalists have known for years.

Peppermint has long been used to settle upset stomachs.

I think I'll be going out and stocking up on candy canes at clearance prices, now!

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It would be a lot more beneficial minus the sugar and artificial flavorings. Go to your nearest health food store and buy the real deal.

It's so hard to find natural candy canes, but they are sooo good!

As for settling the stomach, when I was pregnant (yes, I'm a woman), ginger (real ginger) was the only thing for me. I could barely get it down, but when I did it help my nausea immediately.

I remember hearing many years ago that restaurants hand out mints just for that reason. Pizza places especially.

Missy said:

It's good to see science catching up with info the health food industry and naturalists have known for years.

Peppermint has long been used to settle upset stomachs.

It would be a lot more beneficial minus the sugar and artificial flavorings. Go to your nearest health food store and buy the real deal.

Click to expand...

No way, I'm going for the candy, LOL! :crazy:

And the germ fighting properties is the most interesting finding, I think. I wonder of sucking on one at the start of a cold, when our throats are sore from the initial infection, would be beneficial? Wouldn't hurt to try, I guess.

If you give up sugar for a while, believer me, you will not miss it at all:winko:

It's the giving up that's hard! I really believe sugar is an addiction.

Just do it. Like ripping off a bandaid. :whip:

I don't miss it at all. Actually, food tastes better to me now that is is not hidden

Over Christmas, my doggie was chomping on something and after I got it away from him...I found it was part of a candy cane. Scared me as I didn't know what it would do to him. Turns out...it only made his breath fresh. LOL Who knew dogs like candy canes, too?!