The medicinal properties and benefits of fish mint have been documented in ancient texts of traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine, as well as Ayurveda and Siddha
A herb with beautiful white flowers and broad, heart-shaped leaves. Unlike its appearance, it has a fish-like taste and smell. Hence, the name, fish mint.
The medicinal properties and benefits of fish mint have been documented in ancient texts of traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine, as well as Ayurveda and Siddha.
The herb which is believed to be a native of Southeast Asia grows easily on moist soils and is resistant to flooding. According to the second edition of Handbook of Herbs and Spices published in 2012, fish mint has two distinct flavours.
One is the Chinese variety which is common to China and Vietnam. It has a strong, coriander-like aroma and the roots are used as a vegetable. The second is the Japanese variety, which is distributed from Nepal to Japan. This one has a lemon-ginger like aroma and is used in salads and fish recipes.
In India, fish mint is used in the Northeastern states and is known by different names across the region.
In Meghalaya, it is known as ja mardoh whereas it is commonly called tokning-khok in Manipur. The herb is used in vegetables and salads in both the states. In Assam, where the herb is known as masunduri, the tangy leaves are believed to be rich in vitamins and help to alleviate symptoms of jaundice, pneumonia or simple stomach infections.
In recent years, modern medicine has validated many traditional benefits of fish mint. Traditionally, the Chinese herb is used to treat asthma due to its anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory properties.
A study conducted in 2003 found that addition of an essential oil extracted from the plant to the cell models mitigated asthma development and prevented airway narrowing. Researchers from Taiwan analysed that the plant extract suppresses the impact of fever on the heart, liver, respiratory system, and kidney.
In Japan, the herb’s dried leaves are consumed as healthy herbal tea. This practice is said to control infectious oral diseases. The tea also exhibited anti-plaque formation activity and prevented periodontal disease.
The plant has also been found to keep at bay symptoms of COVID-19, such as pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Researchers from Assam say that the plant should be explored as a potential nutraceutical agent for the therapy of viruses such as SARS-CoV-2, HIV, herpes simplex and influenza.
Other health benefits of fish mint include its ability to reduce body weight, epididymal fat, insulin resistance, plasma and liver lipids. The leaves of the plant have also become a popular ingredient of cosmetics such as serums for acne-prone irritated skin.
Thus, including fish mint in your diet will have several benefits.
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