Peppermint

Research corpus coverage

Chemistry notes

• CHEMISTRY: Relevant reported constituents include menthol; menthone; rosmarinic acid; constituent presence alone does not establish clinical efficacy.

Traditional / historical use

Documented traditional use — not a claim of established efficacy.

• TRADITIONAL: Peppermint has been used for dyspepsia; flatulence; headache; this records historical/traditional use and does not establish efficacy.

  MODERATE · evidence synthesis/fact sheet · NCCIH Herbs at a Glance

Modern evidence

• EVIDENCE: For the major use set (dyspepsia; flatulence; headache), the evidence assessment is well-supported: Well-supported for enteric-coated peppermint oil in IBS symptom relief; limited evidence for topical tension headache.

  HIGH · regulatory monograph and mixed scientific literature · Peppermint oil for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome

Forms used traditionally

A listed form does not imply it suits every plant part, or that one preparation is interchangeable with another — see the plant’s own notes below.

Cats

• High risk

  Peppermint oil is toxic to cats when ingested or inhaled; the page advises immediate reporting of all exposures.

  Route-specific · INHALATION · essential oil · HIGH · poison_control_database · Peppermint Oil | American College of Veterinary Pharmacists

• High risk

  Some formulations identified with peppermint oil, including wintergreen oil, may contain aspirin derivatives and are even more dangerous for cats.

  Intrinsic toxicity · INHALATION · oil formulation · MODERATE · poison_control_database · Peppermint Oil | American College of Veterinary Pharmacists

• High risk

  Peppermint oil is known to cause poisoning in cats and may produce neurologic, respiratory, cardiovascular, thermoregulatory, gastrointestinal, and hepatic signs.

  Intrinsic toxicity · OTHER · peppermint essential oil · HIGH · poison_control_database · Essential Oils and Cats

• High risk

  Peppermint oil is listed as an essential oil known to cause poisoning in cats after oral or dermal exposure.

  Intrinsic toxicity · OTHER · essential oil · HIGH · poison_control_database · Updates on Essential Oils

• High risk

  Peppermint oil, including menthol and peppermint-oil preparations, is toxic to cats.

  Intrinsic toxicity · UNKNOWN · Scent or aromatic preparation; peppermint oil · HIGH · veterinary_hospital_guidance · Small Animal Toxins | Cornell University College of Veterinary ...

Dogs

• High risk

  Peppermint oil is listed as poisonous to dogs in the context of essential-oil exposure.

  Intrinsic toxicity · OTHER · Peppermint essential oil · HIGH · veterinary_hospital_guidance · Essential Oil and Liquid Potpourri Poisoning in Dogs

Cats & dogs

• High risk

  Peppermint oil is listed among essential oils associated with products that can be toxic in dogs and/or cats; the page does not provide oil-specific species, route, dose, or sign attribution.

  Intrinsic toxicity · OTHER · Essential oil, including as a component of herbal flea or tick treatments · MODERATE · veterinary_manual · essential, herbal, oil poisoning canine feline - Consultant

• High risk

  Peppermint oil is included among essential oils described as toxic to dogs and cats; exposure may produce the general essential-oil effects reported by the page.

  Intrinsic toxicity · OTHER · peppermint essential oil or liquid-potpourri product · MODERATE · veterinary_hospital_guidance · Steer clear of essential oils - VCA Animal Hospitals

• Caution

  ASPCA identifies mint as Mentha sp. (family Lamiaceae) and designates it toxic to cats and dogs; large ingestions may cause vomiting and diarrhea. The page does not specifically identify peppermint.

  Intrinsic toxicity · OTHER · Mint; preparation and concentration not specified; essential oils are listed as the toxic constituent, without evidence about essential-oil products. · HIGH · poison_control_database · Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: Mint - ASPCA

• Caution

  Oral peppermint may cause mild gastrointestinal upset, nausea, or vomiting; topical use may cause dermatitis, and peppermint may increase bleeding risk.

  Intrinsic toxicity · OTHER · peppermint product · MODERATE · veterinary_manual · Herbal Medicine in Veterinary Patients - Therapeutics

Additional safety notes (general, unstructured)

Free-text safety notes carried from their source — not broken out by species, route, or hazard type, and not equivalent to the structured records above. Each note names the kind of source it came from.

• SAFETY: Major issues include Heartburn; perianal burning; concentrated oil toxicity in infants. Contraindications/cautions include Reflux disease caution; do not apply menthol near infants' faces.

  HIGH · observational/case series and expert review · LiverTox: Herbal and Dietary Supplements

• SAFETY: Clinically relevant interaction concerns include May affect CYP enzymes; antacid timing can compromise enteric coatings.

  MODERATE · observational/case series and expert review · LiverTox: Herbal and Dietary Supplements

  Some interactions are theoretical or based on case reports/pharmacokinetics rather than outcome trials.

• SAFETY: Pregnancy/lactation reference: Insufficient medicinal-use pregnancy/lactation data.

  MODERATE · regulatory monograph or evidence synthesis · NCCIH Herbs at a Glance

  Absence of evidence is not evidence of safety.

• Peppermint oil is listed among essential oils associated with products that can be toxic in dogs and/or cats; the page does not provide oil-specific species, route, dose, or sign attribution.

  MODERATE · veterinary_manual · essential, herbal, oil poisoning canine feline - Consultant

  The page names peppermint oil but does not attribute the listed signs specifically to it or distinguish cats from dogs.

• Peppermint oil is included among essential oils described as toxic to dogs and cats; exposure may produce the general essential-oil effects reported by the page.

  MODERATE · veterinary_hospital_guidance · Steer clear of essential oils - VCA Animal Hospitals

  The page names peppermint oil but does not provide peppermint-specific constituent, dose, or clinical-sign data.

• ASPCA identifies mint as Mentha sp. (family Lamiaceae) and designates it toxic to cats and dogs; large ingestions may cause vomiting and diarrhea. The page does not specifically identify peppermint.

  HIGH · poison_control_database · Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: Mint - ASPCA

  The page names only Mentha sp., so attribution to Mentha × piperita is not species-specific.

• Oral peppermint may cause mild gastrointestinal upset, nausea, or vomiting; topical use may cause dermatitis, and peppermint may increase bleeding risk.

  MODERATE · veterinary_manual · Herbal Medicine in Veterinary Patients - Therapeutics

  Menthol was named as a constituent but not explicitly identified as toxic.

• Peppermint oil is toxic to cats when ingested or inhaled; the page advises immediate reporting of all exposures.

  HIGH · poison_control_database · Peppermint Oil | American College of Veterinary Pharmacists

  No established toxicity threshold is provided.

• Some formulations identified with peppermint oil, including wintergreen oil, may contain aspirin derivatives and are even more dangerous for cats.

  MODERATE · poison_control_database · Peppermint Oil | American College of Veterinary Pharmacists

  The page does not provide separate clinical signs or organ effects for these formulations.

• Peppermint oil is known to cause poisoning in cats and may produce neurologic, respiratory, cardiovascular, thermoregulatory, gastrointestinal, and hepatic signs.

  HIGH · poison_control_database · Essential Oils and Cats

  The page names peppermint oil but does not identify its toxic constituent or distinguish route.

• Peppermint oil is listed as an essential oil known to cause poisoning in cats after oral or dermal exposure.

  HIGH · poison_control_database · Updates on Essential Oils

  The page does not list peppermint oil among the dog oils known to cause poisoning; this is not evidence of safety in dogs.

• Peppermint oil, including menthol and peppermint-oil preparations, is toxic to cats.

  HIGH · veterinary_hospital_guidance · Small Animal Toxins | Cornell University College of Veterinary ...

  The page does not provide a dog-specific classification, identify a toxic constituent separately, or provide clinical signs or concentration distinctions.

• Peppermint oil is listed as poisonous to dogs in the context of essential-oil exposure.

  HIGH · veterinary_hospital_guidance · Essential Oil and Liquid Potpourri Poisoning in Dogs

  The page does not specify a toxic constituent, route-specific outcome, or clinical signs for peppermint oil.

Taxonomic identity note

• Peppermint is treated here as Mentha × piperita L. in the family Lamiaceae; recorded older names include Mentha piperita L..