Mouth starts watering when we think of lip-smacking Indian food with combination of delicious desi chutney. Want to make Chutney yummier? Flavor it up with Podina or commonly called as mint leaves.
SURPRISINGLY, most of us use or see these humble leaves as garnishing leaf for salad or sabzi. Hold your thoughts! Podina is definitely more than a garnishing leaf. The aroma and the freshness of Podina are so tempting that you just can’t stop smelling or eating.
Many of us don’t even know that Podina or known as pudina has many surprising health benefits.
Podina in Ayurveda is an herb which arouses the senses and decongests the orifices of our head. Podina is aromatic menthol and rich in many chemicals, vitamins and minerals. This herbaceous plant is antibacterial and antifibrile. Podina can be used for the treatment of illness such as headache, rhinitis, cough with sore throat, colic, vomiting, etc.
Podina is a good blood cleanser. It is also used as cardiac tonic in most of the pharmaceutical preparations. Podina’s antiseptic and antibacterial property makes it effective against most cases of oral infections like swollen gums, mouth ulcers and toothaches. 
The surprising or not so known health benefits of Podina;
- Helps in treating stomachache and chest pains. Mint leaves soaked in water to make tea can ease stomach pain and as a sleeping aid.
- Used to whiten teeth
- Crushed and bruised Podina can be used for treatment of insect bites.
- The strong aroma of fresh Podina leaves can stimulate brain functioning which is helpful for nausea.
- For headaches, crushed Podina leaves are applied on forehead and temple.
- Boil 6 tablespoons of Podina leaves and 2 glasses of water for 15 min. Strain the water and allow it to cool. Divide this into two portions and take each portion after 3-4 hours. This is an excellent remedy for toothaches.
- For treating coughs, boil 6 tablespoons of chopped Podina leaves in 2 glasses of water for 15 min. Strain the water and allow it to cool. Divide this into 3 portions and take it 3 times a day.
- Take some fresh Podina leaves and heat them on low flame. Pounding and applying on painful joints or muscles when it’s still warm, helps in the relief from arthritis.
- For a refreshing mouthwash, soak 2 tablespoons of chopped Podina leaves in 1 glass of hot water for 30 min and then strain the water.
- Podina is loaded with antioxidants that are excellent for abdomen. The menthol in it helps enzymes necessary for digestion.
- A variety of pain relief ointments use mint extracts from Podina in their product. The mint extract causes a cooling effect on the hurting area, making it numb to an extent and so one can feel the pain reducing. You can also breathe in the vapors of mint extract as it calms down the nerves and gives a relaxed feeling to whole body.
- The anti inflammatory and anti bacterial property of Podina makes it an excellent remedy for skin with acne. The strong antioxidant in Podina leaves a natural blush on skin and also rehydrates the skin that is dry and gloomy.
- Podina is very helpful in preventing skin from inflammation, patches and blackheads. It also helps in quicker removal of dry and gloomy skin. The removal of dry skin will help pores to open, allowing skin to breathe.
- To avoid bad breath or to kill bacteria in mouth, chew some mint leaves regularly.
- Podina is packed with many nutrients and so they help in improving body’s immune system.
- The aromatherapy from of mint extract is used to beat stress and revitalize the mind. Inhaling the fumes of mint helps in relaxing the body and soothing the mind. Podina helps in releasing small amounts of serotonin in brain that helps a person to beat stress or depression.
- Podina is a great remedy for expectant mothers to treat morning sickness or nausea. Eat few leaves of Podina or smelling few crushed leaves can be very helpful.