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                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 1, 1992                   TAG: 9112310263
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 6   EDITION: HOLIDAY 
SOURCE: The Washington Post
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

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MINT MAY BE HEALTHIER FOR YOU THAN YOU KNOW

Peppermint, spearmint, pennyroyale and other members of the mint family are rich sources of antioxidants - chemical substances that are proving useful in preventing a wide range of illnesses ranging from cancer and heart disease to cataracts.

Although generally not eaten in quantities large enough to affect nutrition, fresh mint is rich in vitamin C and beta-carotene, a substance that the body converts to vitamin A.

Both vitamins are among the nutrients that the National Cancer Institute, the National Academy of Sciences and other public-health groups recommend Americans consume more of to reduce their risk of developing cancer.

So researchers are looking at a variety of medicinal possibilities for menthol. "Menthol acts as a local anesthetic, vascular stimulant and disinfectant," said James Duke, a botanist with the Department of Agriculture's Research Service in Beltsville, Md., "and may be rubbed on affected areas or inhaled."

The notion that mint might have some medicinal uses is not new.

In medieval times, mint was strewn about the home for its aroma and used as a method to rid houses of fleas, according to Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs.

By the 18th century, mint had gained importance as a medicinal herb, and as the encyclopedia noted, "various species were used as a cure for colic, digestive odors and a host of other problems."

Among them, Japanese mint was thought to be good for birth control, while a mixture of peppermint, spearmint and salt was applied to dog bites.

A century ago, the British medical journal Lancet reported that peppermint oil applied to the temples could help relieve a headache, according to Roy Genders, author of "The Complete Book of Herbs and Herb Growing."

Today, researchers are concentrating on menthol. Mint leaves contain up to 3 percent oil, which is extracted by a distillation process similar to that used to make alcohol.

The resulting menthol, Duke said, is used in a variety of ways, from overcoming bad breath to reducing the pain of rheumatism.

"Could antioxidant mint tea be the fountain of youth?" Duke asked.

"Probably not. But evidence accumulates to show that antioxidants . . . may slow aging, arthritis, cancer, cataracts and viruses."

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