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Healthy Home Economist / Archives / Natural Remedies / Picky Eater? Try Spearmint Extract

Picky Eater? Try Spearmint Extract

by Sarah Pope / Affiliate Links ✔

Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
  • Spearmint Extract for the Picky Eater
  • Spearmint Extract Won't Be Much Help for a High Sugar Eating Child

 

spearmint extractDo you have a picky eater in your home?  Perhaps this story about how a small daily dose of spearmint extract fixed the problem for one Mom might help you too.

While on vacation over the Memorial Day holiday, I had the pleasure of meeting a lady named Marcie from Pennsylvania. Marcie and I really hit it off as she totally gets the Real Food way of life.

One of Marcie’s pre-teen children, Selima, has been a picky eater and struggling with poor appetite over the past couple of years due to some problems with her stomach’s signaling of hunger to the brain. In other words, she really has to be hungry before her brain will tell her it’s time to eat. 

What’s more, once Selima does start to eat, she gets full really fast as the signal of satiation is very strong.

For most people, this would be a great problem to have. But, a picky eater in the form of a growing child can be a serious issue as this can hamper proper development and health.

Marcie tried a number of remedies to assist Selima with her poor appetite but none worked very well.  Even using cinnamon didn’t work as Selima developed an allergy to it after about one week.

Marcie finally hit on something that worked so well for her picky eater and was so simple, I thought I should write a blog about it. I know that a lot of readers probably have at least one child that is a picky eater and could use a safe, at home remedy to boost appetite for Real Food!

Spearmint Extract for the Picky Eater

Marcie uses spearmint extract (quality source) as an herbal supplement and it is really helping Selima with her appetite and also with gaining weight. Prior to using spearmint extract, Selima’s weight wasn’t even listed on the weight charts for her age and height. She is now near the 10th percentile!

Marcie uses spearmint extract (find it here). It is preferably a glycerin based tincture with a strong potency although alcohol as a base is fine too since such tiny amounts are used.

Only 1/4 tsp in the morning 30 minutes or so before breakfast is all that is required. She initially tried 1/2 tsp in the morning, but found that Selima would get so hungry from that size dosage that her stomach would literally hurt.

Spearmint extract initially suppresses the appetite and then the appetite comes back very strong a few minutes later, so be sure to use it in first thing in the morning so that it works all day, including for breakfast.

Spearmint Extract Won’t Be Much Help for a High Sugar Eating Child

Also note that too much sugar and grains in a child’s diet will also suppress appetite quite effectively, so reducing these types of foods can go a long way toward remedying the situation.

In addition, low thiamine (Vitamin B1) will result in poor appetite as well, so adding some nutritional yeast to popcorn or smoothies may do the trick.  Pineapple is also high in thiamine.

If these dietary approaches just don’t seem to work, however, spearmint extract may turn out to be just the ticket for turning your picky or reluctant eater into a Real Food hound!

Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist

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Category: Natural Remedies
Sarah Pope

Sarah Pope MGA has been a Health and Nutrition Educator since 2002. She is a summa cum laude graduate in Economics from Furman University and holds a Master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

She is the author of three books: the bestseller Get Your Fats Straight, Traditional Remedies for Modern Families, and Living Green in an Artificial World.

Her four eBooks Good Diet…Bad Diet, Real Food Fermentation, Ketonomics, and Ancestrally Inspired Dairy-Free Recipes are available for complimentary download via Healthy Home Plus.

Her mission is dedicated to helping families effectively incorporate the principles of ancestral diets within the modern household. She is a sought after lecturer around the world for conferences, summits, and podcasts.

Sarah was awarded Activist of the Year in 2010 at the International Wise Traditions Conference, subsequently serving on the Board of Directors of the nutrition nonprofit the Weston A. Price Foundation for seven years.

Her work has been covered by numerous independent and major media including USA Today, ABC, and NBC among many others.

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Reader Interactions

Comments (41)

  1. Mary

    Nov 18, 2019 at 3:30 am

    Hi Sarah, I love your blog! I am curious if I could try to use this method on my 18 month old baby? What do you think?

    Reply
    • Sarah Pope MGA

      Nov 19, 2019 at 8:24 am

      For a baby that young, I would consult with a specialist first. There could be something else at issue.

  2. Bon

    Jan 11, 2018 at 8:25 pm

    would using a pure therapeutic grade essential oil have the same effect?

    Reply
    • Sarah

      Jan 12, 2018 at 9:14 am

      I personally am not in favor of ingestion of essential oils unless under the care and direction of a physician.

  3. Deb R.

    Oct 30, 2017 at 1:27 pm

    The link to the brand you recommend in the article, is that in a glycerin base so take it as is? or do we need to use that extract and put it in a glycerin base?
    I want rise this on myself but if I google spearmint and appetite the only articles I find are for suppressing appetite and weight loss. If it increases the appetite after suppressing I’m not sure all these people are finding it effective for weight loss?

    Reply
    • Sarah

      Oct 30, 2017 at 3:02 pm

      Use as is and as directed on the bottle.

  4. Christine Harden

    Jun 20, 2014 at 6:53 pm

    Hi Sarah,

    While reading this story I felt like I could have replaced Selima’s name with my son’s. He is almost three and since 3 months has not been on the growth charts. His 10m old brother weighs as much as he does. I have been struggling to find an answer to his weight gain issues but after seeing multiple specialists and finding no answers I’m desperately hoping spearmint might be it.

    Do you know what type of doctor/alternative medical specialist diagnosed Selima with “some problems with her stomach’s signaling of hunger to the brain. In other words, she really has to be hungry before her brain will tell her it’s time to eat. What’s more, once Selima does start to eat, she gets full really fast as the signal of satiation is very strong.” I’d like to take my son to that same type of doctor as he exhibits the same type of signs/symptoms.

    Thank you so much for your article and the hope it has brought!

    Reply
  5. Maria

    Nov 6, 2012 at 7:59 pm

    This is a great idea! So simple!
    I contacted a pharmacy and they said they can make me the spearmint extract in a glycerin base. However, they will use essential oils… can anyone please tell me if this is ok? Thank you very much 🙂

    Maria.

    Reply
  6. stitly

    Jun 21, 2012 at 10:15 pm

    it didn’t work.

    Reply
  7. stitly

    Dec 13, 2011 at 2:27 am

    hi I have found speamint extract alcohol based on eBay .others on the Internet is spearmint oil added to the alcohol.but this one is closest i can find hopefully tiny amount of alcohol is not going to effect little ones .i have ordered last week so should be here any day .see how we go .i will let you if it worked .thankyou

    Reply
  8. andrea

    Dec 7, 2011 at 12:38 am

    Hi I was wondering if spearmint tea works the same way since I cant find the extract anywhere. thank you

    Reply
    • Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist

      Dec 7, 2011 at 7:59 am

      Tea would help but likely not be strong enough. Google spearmint extract .. you may have to buy it online.

  9. Natalie

    Nov 27, 2011 at 4:21 am

    Wondering if anyone know if peppermint extract would be the same as spearmint. What is the difference between them when it comes to increasing appetite? My 4 year old could use this for sure, but I can’t find a spearmint extract and have the peppermint one at home. Any thoughts?

    Reply
  10. Alexis D

    Jun 11, 2011 at 2:45 pm

    This is a wonderful post! I wonder if there is any way to make spearmint extract at home??? I have a spearmint plant that is blooming with LOTS of leaves and wonder what things I can do with the leaves? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! I do have to admit I will pick some of the leaves off and chew them just by themselves 🙂 However my picky 2 year old daughter doesnt seem too keen on that idea haha!

    Reply
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