Could eating peppermints help when you have a cold?

Eating peppermints can increase alertness in people who are ill with the common cold, according to research.

Scientists at Cardiff University looked at whether having a cold impaired mood and performance, and if these effects could be removed by sucking peppermints.

They monitored 81 students over ten weeks and during that time 17 participants developed a mild upper respiratory tract illness.

Six of the ill participants were given peppermints, six were given butterscotch, and five were not given sweets.

Of the 64 healthy controls, 21 sucked peppermint, 22 were given placebo sweets, and 21 did not eat any sweets.

The healthy controls and unwell participants were given tests for their mood, performance, and time reaction tasks.

The study confirmed that having a cold was associated with slower reaction times, slower eye movements and reduced alertness.

They found that sucking a peppermint increased alertness in both those with colds and those who were healthy.

But there were no significant effects of sucking a peppermint on performance.

They found that eating peppermints influenced malaise because it soothed the signals from the body to the brain.

Dr Andy Smith, who led the research, said: “When people are sick with a mild upper respiratory tract illness, they will likely experience malaise – a general discomfort and a lack of well-being.

“This can impact performance and reduce our alertness.

“Vapours are known to have therapeutic benefits – and aromatics, such as mint, have been shown in previous research to have an impact on our wellbeing when ill and in perfect health.

“We thought it was plausible that peppermints might help reduce the malaise associated with the common cold and its symptoms.

“Our results confirmed that common cold illnesses are associated with slower psychomotor speed and reduced alertness.

“But sucking on a peppermint, compared to a butterscotch or nothing, during a cold can increase your alertness.

“These results show that, with the right understanding, simple things can be done to improve our wellbeing when unwell – and that includes eating a peppermint to help with a cold.”