What is the first thing you do when you open a new bag of cannabis flower? You smell it! Cannabis consumers have always prioritized the products' smell, taste, and performance. Why should extracts be any different?
Peppermint Basics
Whether you believe terpenes increase the performance of cannabis products or not, at the very least, some terpene mixes and flavonoids improve the taste of these products. While mixing complex terpene formulations to enhance flavor and performance is possible, a good first-generation improvement to EU extracts can be achieved by simply adding basic peppermint to any extracted mix before going to more advanced formulations.
What is Peppermint?
Benefits of Peppermint
Peppermint, also known as Mentha Piperita L., has chemical and biological antioxidant properties. A 2019 study demonstrated that peppermint's highest cellular antioxidant activity occurred at a dose of 5 µg/mL (Wu et al., 2019).
Another study conducted in 2018 demonstrated the beneficial effects of peppermint in rats' kidneys and livers. This study showed that essential oils from mint at a dosage of 15 and 40 mg/kg significantly reduced stress parameters related to CCL4-induced oxidative stress. The study also observed increased antioxidant enzymes (Bellassoued et al., 2018).
Numerous studies also demonstrate peppermint’s anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antifungal effects. Mint preparations have been shown to lower blood pressure and widen blood vessels, reducing the risks of cardiovascular disease (Saqib et al., 2022).
From the results of these studies, it’s clear that the advantages of using mint as an ingredient go well beyond great taste.
Why Do Crude Extracts Taste So Bad?
Cannabis extracts are notorious for having a bitter or generally unpleasant flavor. Plants that taste good are eaten before producing seeds and, therefore, fail to propagate. The trichomes, terpenes, and even some cannabinoids that cannabis plants produce are, in part, defense mechanisms the plant employs to avoid being eaten (Stack et al., 2023).
The cannabis plant is an expert in employing chemical defenses in response to various types of stress. Water, UV, mechanical, and pathogenic stress can all cause the plant to release different chemicals, most of which have little to no demonstrable medicinal value (Verma et al., 2016)
How to Improve the Taste of Medical Cannabis Extracts
A simple solution is to add mint!
Patients are demanding better performance and taste from their extracts, and adding a simple solution of mint terpenes will significantly improve the medication experience. A better-tasting medicine will likely increase patient medication compliance.
Additionally, terpenes have been used for centuries in herbal medicine applications to improve health. When in doubt, start by putting some mint terpenes in it!
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