Andes Mint Tea - Muña Tea -
Minthostachys mollis)

Do you sell Muña Herbal Tea (Andes Mint Tea)?

Yes! You can order it as a looseleaf herbal tea from our online store.

What is Andes mint tea known for?

Andean mint tea is a culinary and digestive favorite. Muna (Andes Mint) tea is growing in popularity for its delicious mint taste, long historical use supporting gut health, and ability its to help relieve the symptoms of altitude illness.

It has been used for centuries for its medicinal properties, particularly for its digestive health benefits. Studies have shown that Muna has powerful antibacterial, anti-fungal, and carminative qualities. These qualities helped establish its reputation as a digestive aid.

Minthostachys mollis tea is rich in oxygenated monoterpenes. Muna tea is known to ameliorate cold and flu symptoms. It can help relieve bronchial congestion and break up phlegm. It also makes a great mouthwash and a skin tonifier.

Can Muña tea help with altitude sickness?

Muña has a long history of traditional use in the high Andes, where people commonly drink the tea for digestive comfort and to help with symptoms experienced at high elevations. Travelers in Peru may encounter Muña tea in Cusco and other mountainous regions for exactly this reason.

Its traditional use for headache, nausea, digestive discomfort, fatigue, and other altitude-related symptoms is one of the reasons Muña has become so closely associated with Andean wellness. However, traditional use should not be confused with clinical proof that Muña prevents or treats acute mountain sickness.

Altitude illness can become serious. Gradual acclimatization and established altitude-safety practices remain important, and worsening symptoms, particularly severe headache, confusion, difficulty walking, or shortness of breath at rest, require prompt attention and descent when appropriate.

We think of Muña as a traditional Andean companion for digestive comfort and general wellness at altitude, not as a substitute for proper acclimatization or medical treatment.

Can does Muña support digestion?

Muña has been used for generations in Andean traditional medicine as a digestive and carminative herb. It is traditionally consumed after meals and during periods of occasional digestive discomfort to support comfortable digestion and help with gas, bloating, feelings of fullness, and stomach discomfort.

Modern research has begun exploring the plant’s essential-oil composition and biological activity, providing scientific context for some of these traditional uses. Muña contains aromatic compounds such as menthone and pulegone, although its chemical composition varies depending on geography, climate, growing conditions, and preparation.

Human clinical research remains limited, so Muña is best viewed as a traditional digestive tea rather than a treatment for gastrointestinal disease. Its combination of distinctive flavor and longstanding digestive use is one reason it remains such a valued herbal tea in Peru and throughout the Andes.

Can Muña Andes mint tea help with bloating and gas?

Muña (Minthostachys mollis) has a long history of traditional use in the Andes as a digestive and carminative herb. Carminative herbs are traditionally used to support comfortable digestion and help with occasional gas, bloating, and feelings of fullness after eating.

Muña’s aromatic leaves contain naturally occurring essential-oil compounds, including menthone and pulegone, although the plant’s chemical profile can vary significantly depending on geography, climate, and other growing conditions. Researchers are investigating how these compounds and other constituents of Muña may contribute to its traditional gastrointestinal uses.

For occasional digestive discomfort, a warm cup of Muña after a meal can be a simple way to incorporate this traditional Andean herb into your routine. Persistent or severe bloating, abdominal pain, or other gastrointestinal symptoms should be discussed with a healthcare professional.

Does it support respiratory health?

Muña has traditionally been used for respiratory comfort, particularly during periods of cough and congestion. This is due to the tea’s anti-inflammatory and expectorant properties, which may help open up airways and reduce coughing. Its aromatic compounds have also attracted research interest, although clinical evidence in people remains limited. 

Does it support skin health?

Used as a face wash, the tea can promote skin health, help prevent premature wrinkles, and help counteract the harmful effects of free radicals and oxidative damage from environmental stress.

Does it have anti-fungal properties?

Studies show that Minthostachys mollis has potent anti-fungal activity against the fungal microorganisms Candida albicans, Trichophyton rubrum, T. mentagrophytes and F. oxysporum. viruses. Given that many fungi are developing resistance to traditional treatments, that’s good news.

Does Andes mint tea support oral health?

Mint tea has been used for centuries as a natural remedy for oral health issues, such as toothaches and bad breath. Mint tea has antimicrobial properties that can help fight off bacteria in the mouth and prevent cavities.

In particular, oral candidiasis is a common fungal disease usually caused by an overgrowth of C. albicans in the oral cavity. Recommended treatments include proper oral hygiene, use of topical agents, and systemic medications. Muna has shown potential in providing support for these treatments by possibly helping to inhibit fungus and bacteria.

Can it be used as a mouthwash?

In traditional medicine, Andean tea has been used as a remedy for bad breath as a halitosis-preventing mouthwash.

What other support can it provide?

It has been used to help heal wounds faster, prevent ulcers, and promote the health of the intestinal lining. In addition, it has also been used to help heal wounds faster, help prevent ulcers, and promote the health of the intestinal lining. It is also believed that Muña can help to heal intestinal problems, reduce inflammation, reduce excess stomach acid, calm digestion, and stop diarrhea.

What’s the best time to drink Muña Andes mint tea?

Muña can be enjoyed whenever digestive support is desired, but its traditional use makes it particularly well suited to drinking after a meal. A warm cup can provide a pleasant conclusion to eating while supporting comfortable digestion.

Muña is naturally caffeine-free, so it can also be enjoyed later in the day without adding caffeine to your routine. In Peru and other Andean regions, it has traditionally been consumed for digestive comfort and during time spent at high elevations.

To prepare Linden Botanicals Muña, add eight ounces of near-boiling filtered water to one teaspoon of looseleaf tea and steep for five to seven minutes.

Can I drink Muña every day?

Muña has a long history of use as both a culinary and medicinal plant in the Andes, but we don’t recommend treating “natural” as synonymous with “unlimited.” The plant contains potent aromatic compounds, and research into concentrated Muña essential oil has raised questions about toxicity at sufficiently high exposures.

That research is important, but concentrated essential oil is not the same thing as traditionally prepared herbal tea. Even so, it supports a sensible approach to Muña: enjoy it in moderate amounts and follow the preparation and usage recommendations provided with the product.

Linden Botanicals recommends Muña primarily for short-term use when digestive or other traditional support is desired. People who are pregnant or breastfeeding, have liver disease, take prescription medications, or are considering frequent or prolonged use should discuss Muña with an appropriate healthcare professional.

Is Muña the same as peppermint?

No. Muña and peppermint are both aromatic members of the mint family, Lamiaceae, but they are different plants. Peppermint is Mentha × piperita, while Muña is Minthostachys mollis, a plant native to the Andes of South America.

The two herbs also have different flavor and phytochemical profiles. Muña has a distinctive mint flavor that Linden Botanicals describes as beginning with a sharp peppermint-like note and developing deeper, earthy and woody notes. Its essential oil can contain compounds such as menthone, pulegone, carvacrol, and other aromatic constituents, with the exact composition varying by where and how the plant is grown.

Both plants have histories of traditional digestive use, but Muña has its own Andean ethnobotanical tradition and shouldn’t simply be considered another form of peppermint.

What other names does Muña go by?

Muña is also known as Andean mint, Andes mint, Arash muña, La Muña, Muna, Muña muña, Muña, Poleo, Tipo, and Tipollo. Its Latin name is Minthostachys mollis.

What are its traditional uses?

The Incas commonly used Andean Andes mint, more often known as Muña, as it was believed to possess healing properties. Internally, the Incas used Muna to alleviate stomachache and diarrhea. Inhaling the aroma or vapors of the tea was used to calm the mind and clear the head. The herbal tea was also used to help soothe and ease congested breathing.

Topically, the Incas and other native peoples of Peru used the crushed leaves to speed the healing of bone fractures and to lessen minor ailments, such as rheumatism, bruising, and insect bites.

What does Andes mint taste like?

It has a complex flavor profile that starts out with a sharp peppermint note, then deepens with bass notes that are woody and similar to ginseng.

How does one consume Muna tea?

Muna is an herbal looseleaf tea. Add 8 oz (1 cup) of near-boiling, filtered water to one teaspoon of the loose-leaf herb. Let the tea steep for 5 to 7 minutes. Drink 1 to 2 cups, as desired.

Muna herbal tea is intended to be consumed to help relieve acute symptoms, such as stomach ache or altitude sickness. It is most helpful when used for 1 to 3 days.

Where do you get your Andes mint tea?

We get our Muna herbal tea from Peru. Wherever we travel in Peru, particularly in the high country along the Lares trail to Machu Picchu, our days would inevitably end with a small cup of delivious Muna tea. Muna tea, also known as Muña and Andean mint tea, is a popular herbal remedy in Peru and other South American countries. This tea is made from the leaves of the Minthostachys mollis plant, which is native to the Andes Mountains. Locally, it is used both as a condiment and as a medicinal tea.

How did you choose your Andes mint supplier?

For each of the products we sell, company owner Michael Van der Linden and members of our team do substantial research, visit the source, and meet with the collectors and processors personally. We back up our faith in our source and our processors with testing.

Can you describe the plant?

Muna is a woody shrub in the family Lamiaceae. It grows up to one meter tall. When the plant reaches maturity, its many fibrous stems take on a light brown to pale yellow hue and bear tiny clusters of tiny white flowers at the tips. The oblong, vivid green leaves stand out due to their light green veining, and the curved margins that can either have smooth or serrated edges. Muna has a pungent, energizing mint aroma that gets stronger as the leaves are crushed, and it tastes fresh, earthy, and minty.  

Muna’s native range is the Andes region of South America. It is regularly found at elevations between 2,500 and 3,500 meters above sea level, in the highlands of Cusco, Ayacucho, and Puno. Archeological evidence shows that muna has been growing wild in the region since at least the time of the former Incan Empire.

Does Andes mint tea contain caffeine?

No.

Does it have any side effects?

Andes tea has no known side effects if consumed in moderation. Some studies have suggested that excessive use may be damaging to the liver.

Muna herbal tea is intended to be consumed to help relieve acute symptoms, such as stomach ache or altitude sickness. It is most helpful when used for 1 to 3 days.

What if I have more questions about Andes mint tea?

Contact us!

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