[MPWG] spearmint and migraine

[Bob Beyfuss]

  Please reply directly to Marjorie at mintresearch at yahoo.com  if you have 
interest or helpful information
Bob


Marjorie T. Nieh, Rensselaer, NY

My Personal Experience with Spearmint and Migraine Headaches.

Since as a child, I suffered from headache attacks.  When in Wilmington, DE 
in the 1980's I began to have severe migraine headache attacks that would 
last three days. Up to eight pills of aspirin @325mg/day were ineffective 
(contrast with "Efficacy of 1,000mg effervescent acetylsalicylic acid and 
sumatriptan in treating associated migraine symptoms," Diener, Eikermann, 
Gessner, Gobel, Haag, Lange, Eur. Neurol, 2004, 52(1): 50-6). In the 
1990's, the headaches occurred several times/month.  High humidity and low 
pressure are some of the factors that affect my headaches (see Headache, 
June 2004, 44(6): 596-602). In addition, the mood is another factor: body 
and mind connection certainly plays a part.

 From 1999-2001, I was administered with 400mg riboflavin/day as 
prophylaxis (J. Schoenen, M.Lenaerts and J. Jacquy, Neurology, 50: 466-470, 
Feb., 1998, Boehnke, Flach, Schuh-Hofer, Einhaupl, Eur. J. Neurol. July 
2004, 11 (7): 475-7). Although the frequency of headaches was reduced, 
there was no complete cure.  One day in the summer of 2001, I drank 5-6 
cups of the brewed spearmint tea, which miraculously cleared my headache 
immediately. Thereafter, I harvested the mint, air dried ("Influence of 
drying on the flavor quality of spearmint, Mentha spicata L." Diaz-Maroto, 
Perez-Coello, Gonzalez et.al., J. Agric. Food Chem., Feb. 2003, 26:51(5): 
1265-9) and drank the tea as a refresher. I have had no migraine problem 
since then.

I believe this discovery, that brewed spearmint tea, a very easily prepared 
remedy, is a treatment as well as prophylaxis for migraine, is significant 
and needs further research.

The local Cornell Cooperative Extension has identified the mint plant as a 
spearmint variety: Mentha spicata, syn. M. viridis or M. arvenis, syn. M. 
smithiana.

This species is cultivated in North America, Germany and Holland 
(<http://www.cis.um.edu.mt/~phcy/symp/lilibarb.htm>http://www.cis.um.edu.mt/~phcy/symp/lilibarb.htm, 
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/herbhunters/spearmint.html) whose major 
chemical component is (R)-(-) Carvone (~75%) with minor components: 
cineole, limonene, myrcene, phellandrene and caryophyllene 
(http://www.essentialoils.co.za/essential_oils/spearmint.htm). The 
enantiomer (S)-(+) carvone is caraway seed oil.

Spearmint and peppermint oils, extracted by steam distilling the flowering 
tops, are commercially available. A migraine preventative tea manufactured 
by Cherokee Valley Herbs & Medicinalsâ consists of feverfew, meadowsweet, 
black cohosh, wild yam, skullcap, St. John’s Wort, stevia, peppermint and 
spearmint leaves and essential oil (http://cherokeevalley.com/products.html).

Although much literature has been written on peppermint (menthol) and 
spearmint (carvone) treating nausea, fevers, colds, there has been no 
scientific research study done on mint treating migraine, or specifically, 
any mechanism on the subject. It is my belief that the brewed mint tea 
remedy could replace the current migraine medications, which often 
associate with side effects, or current herbal remedy, e.g. feverfew, that 
is also associated with unpleasant side effects.

Something about myself: I am a Ph.D. organic chemist (Purdue University; 
Post-doctoral research in organic chemistry: Massachusetts Institute of 
Technology, Purdue, Brookhaven National Laboratory) who has extensive basic 
and applied research experience with several corporations in the past 
(DuPont, Eastman Kodak and smaller corporations), and an adjunct professor 
with the area universities in the Albany, NY area (Rensselaer Polytechnic 
Institute, SUNY Albany, Hudson Valley College) in the recent years.  Due to 
the poor economy of Albany, I am currently seeking other employment.  I 
would be happy to join your research effort in grant writing, research, 
outreach, education speaker, etc., as I have considerable experience in 
these areas.

I look forward to your comments. 
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