Peppermint vs spearmint: nutrition compared
Full comparison · Calories · Carbs · Healthier
Per 3.5 oz (100 g), peppermint has 70 calories and 3.8 g of protein; spearmint has 44 calories and 3.3 g. Fiber: 8 g vs 6.8 g.
Where each one is ahead
- Peppermint has clearly more vitamin c (35% DV vs 15%).
- Spearmint has clearly more iron (66% DV vs 28%).
Side by side, per 3.5 oz (100 g)
| Peppermint | Spearmint | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 70 calories | 44 calories |
| Protein | 3.8 g (8% DV) | 3.3 g (7% DV) |
| Fat | 0.94 g (1% DV) | 0.73 g (1% DV) |
| Saturated fat | 0.25 g (1% DV) | 0.19 g (1% DV) |
| Carbohydrate | 14.9 g (5% DV) | 8.4 g (3% DV) |
| Fiber | 8 g (29% DV) | 6.8 g (24% DV) |
| Sodium | 31 mg (1% DV) | 30 mg (1% DV) |
| Potassium | 569 mg (12% DV) | 458 mg (10% DV) |
| Calcium | 243 mg (19% DV) | 199 mg (15% DV) |
| Iron | 5.1 mg (28% DV) | 12 mg (66% DV) |
| Magnesium | 80 mg (19% DV) | 63 mg (15% DV) |
| Vitamin A | 212 mcg (24% DV) | 203 mcg (23% DV) |
| Vitamin C | 32 mg (35% DV) | 13 mg (15% DV) |
| Vitamin D | 0 mcg | 0 mcg |
| Folate | 114 mcg (28% DV) | 105 mcg (26% DV) |
| Vitamin B12 | 0 mcg | 0 mcg |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0 mg |
— not reported by USDA for this food.
Per typical serving
Servings differ: 2 tbsp (3.2 g) of peppermint and 2 tbsp (11.4 g) of spearmint, the serving sizes we use for each (USDA household measures; 4 oz for meat and fish).
| Peppermint | Spearmint | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 2 calories | 5 calories |
| Protein | 0.12 g (0% DV) | 0.38 g (1% DV) |
| Fat | 0.03 g (0% DV) | 0.08 g (0% DV) |
| Saturated fat | 0.01 g (0% DV) | 0.02 g (0% DV) |
| Carbohydrate | 0.48 g (0% DV) | 0.96 g (0% DV) |
| Fiber | 0.26 g (1% DV) | 0.78 g (3% DV) |
| Sodium | 1 mg (0% DV) | 3.4 mg (0% DV) |
| Potassium | 18 mg (0% DV) | 52 mg (1% DV) |
— not reported by USDA for this food.
What the numbers don't tell you
Choosing a tea, a gum or a plant? Almost all the evidence sits with concentrated products, and the two mints are studied for different things.
Peppermint's strongest result belongs to oil capsules for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). In a network of 51 trials in 4,644 adults, they ranked first for easing overall symptoms. An umbrella review called the benefit small, at low to very low certainty. In 228 children aged 8 to 18, neither capsules nor peppermint sweets beat placebo.
Spearmint has a tea trial. In 42 women with polycystic ovary syndrome and excess hair growth, spearmint tea twice a day for 30 days lowered testosterone against a placebo tea, while the hair score did not change significantly. One small, short trial.
The table misses safety. Peppermint tea with a bread meal cut iron absorption by 84 percent, within the 79 to 94 percent range of black tea, so drink it between meals if you need iron. Both oils turn up as contact allergens, peppermint in a lip balm and spearmint in toothpaste. For nausea in pregnancy, a systematic review found mint did not help. The EMA does not recommend peppermint leaf under age 4, for lack of data, or peppermint oil capsules in pregnancy, while breastfeeding or with acid-reducing drugs.
Pick the tea by flavor. Before trying capsules for IBS, ask a doctor.
Evidence behind this note
- Level A In a network of 51 trials with 4644 patients, peppermint oil capsules ranked first of all traditional irritable bowel treatments for global symptoms, at a relative risk of 0.63. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol, 2020
- Level A An umbrella review of 58 meta-analyses covering 175 trials found the peppermint oil benefit real but small, and rated the certainty low to very low. Nutr Rev, 2025
- Level B In a 2026 randomized trial of 228 children aged 8 to 18 with IBS or functional abdominal pain, neither peppermint oil capsules nor peppermint sweets beat placebo after 8 weeks. Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 2026
- Level B In a 30-day RCT in 42 women with PCOS and hirsutism, spearmint tea twice a day lowered free and total testosterone versus placebo tea, but the objective hirsutism score did not change. Phytotherapy Research, 2010
- Level C Peppermint tea drunk with a bread meal cut absorption of non-heme iron by 84%, which puts it level with strong black tea. Br J Nutr, 1999
- Level C Four patients with eczema on the lips were patch tested against everything in their lip balm, and peppermint oil came out as the culprit. Dermatitis, 2010
- Level C In an Italian multicentre patch-test series of 54 patients with lip eczema suspected from toothpaste, spearmint oil was the most frequent allergen in the targeted test series. Contact Dermatitis, 2000
- Level A A systematic review of herbal trials for nausea and vomiting of pregnancy found that mint did not improve symptoms, and it gave no pooled effect size. J Obstet Gynaecol, 2020
- Level E The EMA does not recommend peppermint oil capsules in pregnancy or breastfeeding because safety has not been established. It lists liver disease, gallstones, other bile duct disorders and achlorhydria as contraindications. EMA/HMPC, European Union herbal monograph on Mentha x piperita L., aetheroleum, Final Revision 1, 15 January 2020 (EMA/HMPC/522410/2013)
- Level E The EMA advises against combining peppermint oil capsules with acid-reducing drugs such as proton pump inhibitors or H2 blockers, which may dissolve the enteric coating too early. Food or antacids taken at the same time can do the same. EMA/HMPC, European Union herbal monograph on Mentha x piperita L., aetheroleum, Final Revision 1, 15 January 2020 (EMA/HMPC/522410/2013)
- Level E The European Medicines Agency monograph does not recommend peppermint leaf for children under 4 years, because the data are not there. European Union herbal monograph on Mentha x piperita L., folium, revision 1, EMA
Written from the studies and agency guidance we hold for both foods, reviewed by the Bioma editorial system. How we verify.
Keep exploring
Read more about these foods
- Peppermint: the capsule has the evidence, the tea does not
- Spearmint: capsule results, a tea trial and an oil allergy
What the studies say
Rankings and guides
Where the numbers come from
- Peppermint: USDA FoodData Central, Peppermint, fresh, FDC ID 173474 · all forms of peppermint
- Spearmint: USDA FoodData Central, Spearmint, fresh, FDC ID 173475 · all forms of spearmint
Each food is one USDA entry, chosen as it is usually eaten. Other cuts, brands and preparations differ; the links show them. % DV uses FDA Daily Values for adults. How we verify.