Graciela mentions that the Brazilian mint tea is very different to the taste and in fact tastes more like sage rather than mint. She added, "Not that nice, really, but then medicine isn't supposed to be nice, is it?"
They plan to launch clinical trials to find out how effective the mint is as a pain relief for people. Experts in pain control say that these are interesting findings and more likely to help a significant number of patients who suffer from pain.
Dr Beverly Collett, chair of the Chronic Pain Policy Coalition, said "Obviously further work needs to be done to identify the molecule involved, but this is interesting research into what may be a new analgesic for the future. The effects of aspirin-like substances have been known since the ancient Greeks recorded the use of the willow bark as a fever fighter.”
She added, "The leaves and bark of the willow tree contain a substance called salicin, a naturally occurring compound similar to acetylsalicylic acid, the chemical name for aspirin."
But before you stock up on Brazilian mint tea for the holidays, just a final note. Anecdotal reports claim that the beverage tastes horrible and the pain relief is mild and not seen in all individuals.
The study is published in the journal Acta Horticulturae.