Mint
In this week's post we're going to chase the dragon, which at first blush sounds a little hardcore for meek little mint. But trust me, mint knows how to party better than you might think. No wonder our parents were so big on grasshopper pie back at those 1970s dinner parties. So gather 'round the fondue pot, and let's get this going.
From gum to hand lotion to cigarettes, mint is everywhere, all over the world. Because they grow networks of horizontal roots that connect the plants (stolons), they're very hardy and very invasive. Once mint takes root in your garden, it's not going to want to leave. Kind of like those raccoons under my porch.
The mintyness (not a real word) of mint comes from the chemical menthol, which makes up anywhere from 40-90% of the essential oil from the plant. Why such a big difference? Well, there are about 18 different species of mint, and their mintyness varies from one to the next.
Menthol can do two very cool things. The first, which I've already implied, is act as an opioid. "But wait," you'll say. "I spent a week in Chiang Mai, and mint does not do that!"
Calm down, friend. Sometimes the truth is difficult: there are 4 different types of opioid receptors in your body, and not all of them trigger happy-fun-times. Menthol triggers your kappa opioid receptors, and acts as a mild analgesic (numbing agent) in your peripheral sensory neurons (like the ones in your skin). There are kappa opioid receptors in your brain, just not in the parts that can get you high. They're in the boring parts.
This explains why you'll find mint in creams that soothe skin pain or itching. It's a complement to the actual medicinal ingredient that adds a pleasant scent and also contributes a bit to the soothing effect.
Speaking of soothing, the other cool thing that mint can do is make you feel ... cool. Menthol can chemically trigger a receptor in your body called TRPM8 (or, transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily M member 8, if you've got time to spare) and make you feel cold even when you're not. It's also called your "cold and menthol receptor 1" (CMR1), which makes a bit more sense. These receptors are found mostly in your nerves, since that's how you feel things, but they're also in your lungs, bladder and prostate (you have one too, ladies, it's just a little different).
Research has found that if you knock out the gene that encodes TRPM8 in mice, they'll have a significantly reduced ability to feel cold. It's like a super power, right?! Immunity to cold! Not really. Just because you can't feel the cold, it doesn't mean that it's not freezing you to death.
Again, what a rip off. Mint Man would be a lame hero anyways. But he'd always be kissably fresh.