A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial Exploring the Short-Term Cognitive and Cerebrovascular Effects of Consuming Peppermint Tea: A Mediation Study.
Netzler, Lovell Human psychopharmacology, 2025.
Study design: Single-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trial with a parallel-group design in 25 healthy adults. The peppermint group drank 200 mL of peppermint tea, and cognition and cerebral blood flow (NIRS) were measured before and after.
- Cognitive performance improved more in the peppermint tea group than in the placebo group.
- Cerebral hemodynamic activity (Oxy-Hb and Total-Hb) also rose more in the peppermint group.
- Changes in cerebral blood flow were not related to changes in cognition, so they did not mediate the effect.
- The authors recommend follow-up studies with larger samples.
What it means for your product: The only randomized trial of peppermint leaf tea in this set of studies, relevant for focus drink concepts. The sample is small and the effect is short term, so it is suitable for education, not claims.









