Two cups of spearmint tea a day may be all women need to slow hair growth, according to Phytotherapy Research online. A report by the publication claimed that Turkish researchers discovered during preliminary tests that the tea could slow the growth of excess hair on the face, stomach and other areas.
The researchers chose spearmint based on reports that the leaf's effects on androgen levels may decrease the male libido. Researchers who tested spearmint on rats discovered a reduction in testosterone. The decrease in male hormones was a vital effect for the researchers because it is increased levels of androgen that cause excess hair growth, or hirsutism. Although both men and women are susceptible to hirsutism, cosmetically, women are more concerned about the problem and; therefore, show a higher usage of depilatories.
For the spearmint study, the researchers had 21 women with hirsutism drink two cups of herbal spearmint tea for five days at a certain time in their menstrual cycle. The women exhibited a decrease in free testosterone, but no significant decrease in total testosterone levels. A change in excess hair growth was not recorded; however, the researchers describe the study as preliminary. In the future, the researchers plan to show the effect of spearmint tea on hirsutism scores on the women.
