--- title: Kentucky Derby: The Best Health Excuse For That Mint Julep description: The health benefits of mint canonical: https://time.com/3842806/heres-your-health-excuse-to-have-a-mint-julep/ author: Alexandra Sifferlin article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-05-01T16:23:43.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-22T06:50:55.136Z article:section: Health og:title: Kentucky Derby: The Best Health Excuse For That Mint Julep og:description: The health benefits of mint og:url: https://time.com/3842806/heres-your-health-excuse-to-have-a-mint-julep/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf6e46aba1ae1d587/6987edd935ba6f972ac0b28a/88168869-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: 88168869 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Kentucky Derby: The Best Health Excuse For That Mint Julep twitter:description: The health benefits of mint twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf6e46aba1ae1d587/6987edd935ba6f972ac0b28a/88168869-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Here's Your Health Excuse to Have a Mint Julep by [Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin May 1, 2015 4:23 PM UTC  Peppermint PeppermintGetty Images by [Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin May 1, 2015 4:23 PM UTC The Kentucky Derby is this Saturday, and that means mint juleps will be on the menu. While there’s really no great health benefit imparted by bourbon, mint certainly has its qualities. If nutrition is what your after, mint soaked in booze may not be the best source, but if you need an excuse for a second mint julep, we’ve got a few. “Without a doubt, the mojito is my favorite way to enjoy the fresh flavor of mint, but it’s mint in its natural state that I truly love,” says registered dietitian Tina Ruggiero. “Mint is available as a tea; you can buy peppermint oil and, of course, there’s the mint leaf itself.” Ruggiero says that used in all these forms, mint has the ability to calm an upset stomach, relieve nasal symptoms from cold or allergies, and it’s a good source of Vitamins C and A. Some [studies](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19008265) have even found that peppermint oil can be an effective treatment for irritable bowel syndrome. “While mint has trace amounts of potassium, magnesium and calcium, you’d have to eat quite a bit of it to garner any particular benefit,” says Ruggiero. “Instead, use it liberally as an ingredient where appropriate, since it doesn’t add fat, calories or sodium to your meals.” (That probably means mint crushed in your Derby drink isn’t doing you much good). Besides mint juleps or mojitos, mint can add an extra kick in the kitchen. Try adding some chopped mint to salads or smoothies, or as Ruggiero suggests, infuse cold water with mint for a refreshing and healthy drink. Gardening enthusiasts also take note: mint is also a great addition to an [herb garden](http://time.com/3773231/spring-gardening-beginner/). ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3842806/heres-your-health-excuse-to-have-a-mint-julep/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3842806/heres-your-health-excuse-to-have-a-mint-julep/"},"headline":"Here's Your Health Excuse to Have a Mint Julep","datePublished":"2015-05-01T16:23:43.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T06:50:55.136Z","description":"Mint is one healthy herb","url":"https://time.com/3842806/heres-your-health-excuse-to-have-a-mint-julep/","keywords":["Diet & Nutrition","health","Kentucky Derby"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf6e46aba1ae1d587/6987edd935ba6f972ac0b28a/88168869-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Alexandra Sifferlin","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf6e46aba1ae1d587/6987edd935ba6f972ac0b28a/88168869-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"88168869","caption":"88168869","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/dietnutrition/","name":"Diet & Nutrition"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3842806/heres-your-health-excuse-to-have-a-mint-julep/","name":"Here's Your Health Excuse to Have a Mint Julep"}}]}] ```