Spearmint Tea for PCOS Hair Growth: Testosterone Fell, Clinician-Rated Hair Did Not Change in 30 Days
Two cups a day lowered free testosterone in two small studies of women with hirsutism. In the placebo-controlled trial, women felt less hairy but clinicians' hair scores did not differ after a month.
By Kymata Health Editorial Published Last checked
Key takeaways
From 4 sources- In a 30-day trial of 42 women with PCOS, free and total testosterone fell over the month in women drinking spearmint tea twice a day; the comparison group drank a placebo herbal tea1.
- Clinician-rated hair growth (Ferriman-Gallwey score) did not differ from placebo (p = 0.12), although self-rated hirsutism improved1.
- An earlier 5-day study in 21 women with hirsutism found lower free testosterone but no fall in total testosterone or DHEA-S; it had no control group2.
- Both trials rate D on our scale: small, short and focused on hormone levels rather than hair12.
- Spearmint tea lowered testosterone and damaged sperm-producing tissue in male rats, and it has not been tested alongside hormonal medicines31.
What this article covers
1 evidence profileThe evidence, graded
Pulled from the trial tables in our evidence profiles. Grades follow our evidence-grading policy.
Graded findings
2 rows- DGrade DAndrogens and hirsutism in PCOSMixed Free and total testosterone fell and LH and FSH rose versus placebo tea; self-rated hirsutism improved, but clinician-rated Ferriman-Gallwey scores did not differ (p=0.12).Spearmint · RCT · n=42 · 2010 · PMID 19585478
- DGrade DAndrogen levels in hirsutismMixed Free testosterone fell and LH, FSH and estradiol rose; total testosterone and DHEA-S did not fall.Spearmint · Open-label trial · n=21 · 2007 · PMID 17310494
Where these trials agree: Spearmint and hirsutism, counted row by row in the Consensus finder.
The short answer
Spearmint tea does appear to lower androgens in women with hirsutism, but no trial has yet shown that it reduces hair growth as measured by a clinician12. The one placebo-controlled trial in our sources lasted 30 days, which its author said was too short for hair changes to show1.
That makes spearmint a reasonable thing to discuss with a clinician, not a replacement for the medicines used for PCOS hair growth.
The 30-day placebo-controlled trial
A two-centre UK trial randomized 42 women with PCOS and hirsutism to spearmint tea or a placebo herbal tea twice a day for 30 days, and 41 finished1. Free and total testosterone fell significantly in the spearmint group, and LH and FSH rose (p < 0.05)1.
Women drinking spearmint rated their hirsutism as better on a modified quality-of-life questionnaire (p < 0.05), but clinician-rated Ferriman-Gallwey scores did not differ between groups (p = 0.12)1. The author concluded that a much longer trial is needed1.
The 5-day study that started it
Researchers in Isparta, Turkey, gave 21 women with hirsutism (12 with PCOS, 9 with no identified cause) one cup of spearmint tea twice a day for 5 days in the follicular phase of the cycle2. Free testosterone fell and LH, FSH and estradiol rose, while total testosterone and DHEA-S did not fall2.
The study had no control group and measured hormones only2. It began because local clinicians suspected mint tea was lowering libido in men2.
What the hormone changes do and do not mean
Lower free testosterone is a plausible route to less unwanted hair, but hair follicles turn over slowly and neither study ran long enough to show a visible change12.
For how the medicines used for PCOS compare, see our guide to birth control vs metformin for PCOS, and for hair specifically, spironolactone for female pattern hair loss.
Safety and who should avoid it
A 90-day trial of a dried spearmint extract at 600 or 900 mg a day found no change in FSH, LH or TSH and no difference in adverse events versus placebo4. That extract is a different product from tea, and three of the report's six authors work for the extract maker, Kemin Foods4. Take extra care in these situations:
- People on hormonal contraceptives, fertility drugs, anti-androgens or testosterone: spearmint tea shifted testosterone, LH and FSH, and no study has tested it alongside these medicines12.
- Trying to conceive: the tea raised LH and FSH in women, and its effect on fertility has not been studied12.
- Men concerned about testosterone or fertility: in male rats, spearmint tea as drinking water lowered testosterone and caused dose-related damage to sperm-producing tissue3.
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding: no study has checked spearmint tea's hormone effects in pregnancy or while breastfeeding12. Because the tea lowered androgens and shifted LH and FSH12, and in male rats it lowered testosterone and damaged testicular tissue3, we suggest not drinking it as a treatment (two cups a day for its hormone effect) while pregnant; ordinary amounts as a flavouring are a different matter.
- Anyone with new or rapidly worsening hair growth: the trials enrolled women already diagnosed with PCOS or hirsutism, so new symptoms need a medical assessment first12.
Quick answers
Common questions
4 answersHow much spearmint tea was used in the PCOS trials?
How long before spearmint tea affects hair growth?
No trial has shown a clinician-measured change; the 30-day trial was judged too short by its own author1.
Is peppermint tea the same?
No; the rat study tested both, and the more severe testicular changes were seen with spearmint3.
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References
4 sources. Numbers in the text link here.
Sources cited in this article
4 sources- 1Spearmint herbal tea has significant anti-androgen effects in polycystic ovarian syndrome. A randomized controlled trialPhytother Res, 2010 · PMID 19585478
- 2Effect of spearmint (Mentha spicata Labiatae) teas on androgen levels in women with hirsutismPhytother Res, 2007 · PMID 17310494
- 3Effects of peppermint teas on plasma testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone levels and testicular tissue in ratsUrology, 2004 · PMID 15302514
- 4Safety and tolerability of a dried aqueous spearmint extractRegul Toxicol Pharmacol, 2017 · PMID 28286189
Spearmint and other dietary supplements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, and these statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Talk to your clinician or pharmacist before starting a supplement, especially if you take prescription medicines. This page has no product or affiliate links.