Mentha pulegium is better known by its other name: Pennyroyal. It's also called "pudding grass" and "mosquito plant". These fluffy plants grow purple flowers with sunburst shaped petals. They look so pretty and have a slight taste of mint. But I must point out Pennyroyal has a dark side.
Often found in the wild, they can also be cultivated and produced in damp soil. It's always been a favourite food ingredient since ancient times, as mentioned in the Roman cookery book Apicius of the 5th century CE. Pennyroyal has been considered for its medicinal uses.
Pliny the Elder (23-79 CE) wrote about Pennyroyal in his book Naturalis Historia being a plant that can encourage blood flow in women, as it's an emmenagogue drug. Pennyroyal has been used by pregnant women seeking abortions throughout the ancient world. The herb was also used to treat menstrual flow problems, flea infections and toothaches.
However, despite the popularity of Pennyroyal being a wonder plant for thousands of years for food and medicine, modern day scientists found Pennyroyal to be harmful. The most toxic of all is the Pennyroyal oil, as it can cause pain, vomiting, fatigue, and even death, depending on how much of it was swallowed. It's best avoided.
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