BT-036 · Lamiaceae

Muña

Minthostachys mollis

Evidence: TraditionalCaution

Anatolia’s pennyroyal is also a pulegone-rich mint; two mountain cultures use similar-smelling herbs for similar complaints.

Other names: Andean mint, muña-muña
Part used: Leaves, flowering sprigs
Region: Andes
Use: Healing, Food

Photo: Lidsay Brito · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

In short

What is Muña?

Muña (Minthostachys mollis) is a plant of the Lamiaceae family. Traditions that use it: Andes. Part used: leaves, flowering sprigs.

What is Muña used for?

Traditional use: Around Cusco its tea is drunk for stomach ache, gas and altitude sickness. Scientific evidence: traditional. A relative of mint; its essential oil contains pulegone and menthone.

Is Muña safe?

Safety label: caution. Moderate amounts as tea are considered safe. Pulegone harms the liver in high doses; do not use in pregnancy or as an essential oil.

Traditional use

Andes

Around Cusco its tea is drunk for stomach ache, gas and altitude sickness. After harvest, farmers store potatoes in layers with muña sprigs to keep out insects and stop sprouting.

In nature

Where it grows: Scrub and valleys in the Andes at 2,500–3,500 m.
Harvest season: Picked all year, most abundantly after the rainy season.
Local names: No Turkish folk name. Local names: muña, muña-muña, coa

Mix-up risk

Mixes with other Andean mints, whose pulegone levels differ.

Preparation

Fresh or dried sprigs are steeped.

What science says

A relative of mint; its essential oil contains pulegone and menthone. Its insect-repellent effect is confirmed in the lab; there are no human studies of its medicinal effects.