Sexual Health - Is a Taste of Mint Good or Bad?

Men who are concerned about appropriate penis care - and every man should be - want to make sure they do all they can to ensure premium sexual health. But the world of sexual health matters is littered with all sorts of misinformation, old wives tales and myths. One of the recurring ones concerns the use of mint as it relates to the penis. According to some sources, mint can be a fine sexual aid, but other sources insist there are dangers to sexual health in the overuse of mint. So what is a guy to believe?

Sexual Health: Is a Taste of Mint Good or Bad?

It seems as if mint is everywhere around us. Spearmint is a popular flavor of chewing gum. Peppermint candies are a treat for kids and adults alike. The range of mint teas seems to have grown exponentially. As menthol, mint is found in several brands of cigarettes and cough drops. And 'minty fresh' has become synonymous with toothpastes and other oral hygiene products. It's even used in some environmentally friendly pesticides in place of toxic chemicals.

There are well over a dozen different kinds of mint plants, and they grow across most of the inhabited continents (although not so often in South America). This popular herb can grow all year long in the appropriate conditions.

Connection Between Penis & Mint

So why should this mint have any connection with the penis? Certainly, anything that is ingested has the potential to affect parts of the body, including the penis.

One of the more common theories associated with mint is that it has the effect of numbing the penis naturally. According to this theory, performing oral sex on an erect penis after sucking on a mint cough drop will temporarily de-sensitize the member so that it can stay harder for a longer period of time during sex. A variant on this theory recommends using mint oil on an erect penis for the same purpose.

There is a little scientific reasoning to back up this claim. Parts of the body contain a protein with a long scientific name which is more generally known as TRPM8. When mint comes into contact with TRPM8, it sends a signal to the brain that says 'Experience this sensation as cold.' So although mint itself is not cold, it makes the body think it is. And so the theory is that getting mint on an erect penis will numb it sufficiently that it acts as a kind of 'delay spray.' However, there are no studies to prove that mint applied to the penis will indeed result in longer-lasting sex.

Effect of Mint on Testosterone Level

And in fact, some people believe that mint could have a negative effect on sexual health and function. Some men have claimed that mint depresses their sex drive. A 2004 study involving mint tea given to male rats seemed to back this up. The intake of mint tea was associated with both an increase in female hormones and a decrease in testosterone.

A study in women with high testosterone levels later found the same thing - that mint caused their testosterone levels to drop and their female hormone levels to rise.

Since testosterone in men is associated with an increased sex drive, the studies suggest that too much mint could indeed cause an effect. But more studies would be needed to definitively prove this.

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