Mint is a plant belonging to the Mentha genus in the Lamiaceae family of plants. Mint is an important plant nutritionally because it has a number of culinary uses and is relatively commonly consumed. Mint has a unique taste on account of its essential oil and commonly eaten forms of mint include spearmint, water mint and peppermint. Analysis of mint from India (Mentha spicata) shows that it is a good source of macromineral including sodium, potassium, calcium, chloride and magnesium, as well as trace minerals including copper, chromium, iron, manganese, selenium and zinc. A number of nonessential and potentially toxic minerals are also present in the tissues of Indian mint. Mint also contains high amounts of phytochemicals that may work as antioxidants, including rosmarinic acid. Studies consistently show a high antioxidant potential for mint. Other plants in the Lamiaceae family such as basil, rosemary and lavender are also known for their antioxidant activity, and these plants also contain rosmarinic acid.
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