If you have PMOS (PCOS), you've probably already done the 1am Google spiral. You've read the forums, scrolled past a TikTok or two, and come across spearmint tea mentioned somewhere as a natural way to help with excess hair or breakouts, without ever finding out whether it actually does anything.

A quick note on names: PCOS has been renamed PMOS (polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome), and the NHS now uses the new name. We use both here while the change settles in. Here is what the rename means for you.

Here's the honest version: spearmint tea is one of the few natural approaches to PCOS symptoms that has real clinical research behind it. Not influencer anecdote, actual trials with measured outcomes. That doesn't make it a fix, and the research is smaller and more limited than a lot of online content suggests.

Short answer: A small placebo-controlled trial found that spearmint tea, drunk twice daily for a month, was linked to lower testosterone in women with PCOS. The evidence is real but limited, and it hasn't reliably shown a measurable improvement in visible hirsutism over that timeframe, so it's worth trying with realistic expectations, not as a stand-alone fix.

This guide covers what the research actually found, including its limitations, who's most likely to notice a difference, how to use it, and where it fits alongside everything else that matters for PCOS.

Why Do Androgens Matter So Much in PMOS (PCOS)?

Short answer: Elevated androgens disrupt ovulation and drive many of the most visible PCOS symptoms, including acne and excess hair growth, which is why lowering them, gently, is a meaningful goal.

PCOS is typically identified when at least two of three features are present: elevated androgens, irregular or absent ovulation, and polycystic ovarian morphology on ultrasound. Behind those features sit deeper drivers, insulin resistance, low-grade inflammation, and stress-related hormonal disruption, that often interact with each other.

Androgens get called "male hormones," which is both reductive and a bit misleading. Women produce them too, and in the right amount they're a normal part of hormonal health. The issue in PCOS is excess. When androgen levels run higher than they should, follicles struggle to mature properly, ovulation gets interrupted, facial and body hair growth can increase, and acne and oily skin often worsen. Reducing that excess, without overcorrecting, is one of the genuine goals of PCOS management, and it's exactly where spearmint's research sits.

What Is Spearmint Tea?

Short answer: Spearmint tea is made from the dried leaves of Mentha spicata, traditionally used for digestion and general wellbeing, and more recently studied specifically for its effect on androgen levels.

What makes spearmint genuinely interesting for PCOS isn't tradition, it's that its anti-androgenic effect has actually been tested in small clinical trials, rather than resting on anecdote alone. That distinction matters, particularly for an audience that's been burned by overclaiming before. It's also worth saying upfront that "tested" here means two small human studies, not a large or settled body of evidence, and being clear about that is part of taking the research seriously rather than hyping it.

How Is Spearmint Thought to Work?

Short answer: The proposed mechanism, reduced androgen production and possibly lower free-androgen availability, is plausible but still largely built on animal research rather than confirmed human pharmacology.

No study has pinned down a single, confirmed mechanism in humans. What exists is a combination of proposed pathways from animal and laboratory research, extrapolated to explain what the human trials observed. A rat study found that spearmint extract reduced testosterone by down-regulating enzymes involved in testosterone synthesis in the testes, over several weeks of exposure (Kumar et al., 2008). A separate rat model of PCOS found that a combination of spearmint and flaxseed extract reduced testosterone and improved ovarian tissue health compared with untreated PCOS controls (Mehraban et al., 2020).

Both of those are animal studies using extracts, not tea, in male rats or induced-PCOS rat models, so they support plausibility rather than proving how spearmint tea works in a human body. Carvone, one of spearmint's main active compounds, is generally proposed as the driver of this effect, alongside theories involving liver enzyme activity and sex-hormone-binding globulin, but none of that has been confirmed through a dedicated human pharmacology study. The honest version: research suggests spearmint may reduce androgen production or availability, though the exact human mechanism hasn't been fully mapped yet.

Does Spearmint Tea Actually Lower Testosterone?

Short answer: Two small human studies found reductions in testosterone with spearmint tea, but they're limited in different ways, and honestly representing those limits matters more than repeating the headline claim.

The most-cited study is a genuine randomised, placebo-controlled trial: 41 women completed a month of spearmint tea twice daily versus a placebo herbal tea, and the spearmint group showed significantly reduced free and total testosterone (Grant, 2010). That's the stronger of the two studies methodologically, because it had an actual placebo comparison.

An earlier, smaller study gave 21 women with hirsutism spearmint tea twice daily for just five days, with no control group and no placebo, comparing results only to their own starting levels (Akdoğan et al., 2007). Free testosterone dropped significantly, but total testosterone didn't change significantly, and LH, FSH, and oestradiol all rose. This study is genuine and often cited, but it's short, uncontrolled, and only moved one of several hormone markers measured, which is a meaningfully weaker result than "spearmint lowers testosterone" makes it sound.

Put together: there is real evidence that spearmint tea can lower testosterone under controlled conditions over a month, from one decent-sized RCT. There isn't a large, repeated, contemporary body of evidence behind it, and the two most commonly cited studies each have real limitations worth knowing before you decide how much weight to put on this.

Does Spearmint Tea Help With Hirsutism (Excess Hair Growth)?

Short answer: The same placebo-controlled trial found improved self-reported hirsutism, but no statistically significant change on the objective clinical scoring system used to measure it over that month.

This is the detail that gets left out of most spearmint content, and it's an important one. In the Grant (2010) trial, women's own subjective rating of their hirsutism improved significantly. But the Ferriman-Gallwey score, the standard clinician-rated measure of hirsutism severity, did not show a statistically significant difference between the spearmint and placebo groups over that 30-day window.

That doesn't mean nothing was happening physiologically, testosterone genuinely dropped. It means that a month wasn't long enough, in this trial, for that hormonal change to show up as a measurable difference in visible hair growth using an objective scale. Hair follicles that are already established respond slowly to hormonal change, generally over months rather than weeks, so a short study window is likely part of the explanation. Realistic expectations here matter: three to six months for any noticeable change in new hair growth, and longer for existing, established hair, is a more honest timeline than anything promising quick results.

What About LH, FSH, and the Broader Hormone Picture?

Short answer: Spearmint has been linked to increases in LH and FSH in small trials, but a 2024 meta-analysis pooling herbal tea research found that pattern across herbal teas generally, not spearmint specifically, and did not find a significant effect on total testosterone once pooled.

Both the Grant and Akdoğan studies found increases in LH and FSH alongside testosterone changes. A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis pooled six randomised trials of herbal teas (235 women with PCOS in total), covering green tea, spearmint, and marjoram tea (Abbasi et al., 2024). Pooled across all six trials, FSH increased significantly, but this result is driven mostly by the green tea studies, since only one of the six trials was spearmint. Pooled total testosterone and DHEA-S did not reach statistical significance across the six trials. The review's own authors note the evidence is limited by small sample sizes and study differences, and call for larger trials before drawing firm conclusions.

The honest takeaway: FSH increase looks like a real, if modest, pattern across PCOS herbal tea research broadly. But it would be inaccurate to present that pooled finding as proof of a spearmint-specific mechanism, since spearmint made up only a sixth of the pooled data.

Does Spearmint Tea Help With Insulin Resistance?

Short answer: No, not directly. Spearmint's research is specifically about androgens, not insulin sensitivity, so it works best as one piece of a wider approach rather than a substitute for the foundations that address insulin resistance.

Insulin resistance is a central driver of PCOS for many women, including women who don't fit the stereotype of what PCOS "looks like." When insulin runs chronically high, it signals the ovaries to produce more androgens, which worsens the same cycle spearmint's research is trying to interrupt from the other direction. Spearmint tea hasn't been studied as a direct insulin-sensitivity intervention, and it shouldn't be framed as one. Its research base is specifically about androgen levels. Reducing androgens may take some pressure off that feedback loop, but blood-sugar-friendly nutrition, movement, sleep, and stress management remain the foundations doing most of the structural work here, with spearmint as a supportive addition on top, not a substitute.

Who Is Most Likely to Notice a Difference From Spearmint Tea?

Short answer: Women with elevated testosterone and androgen-driven symptoms, acne, hirsutism, oily skin, are the group the research actually studied, rather than PCOS broadly.

Spearmint tea is most relevant if you have confirmed or suspected elevated androgens, symptoms like acne, excess hair growth, or oily skin that track with an androgen-driven pattern, or irregular cycles that seem linked to higher testosterone specifically. It's likely to be less impactful if your PCOS picture is dominated by insulin resistance with androgen levels that are already within normal range, though the two patterns overlap often enough that many women fall somewhere in between. If you're not sure which pattern fits you, a full hormone panel with your GP is a more useful starting point than guessing from symptoms alone.

It's also worth saying that "most relevant" doesn't mean "guaranteed to work." Individual response to any hormonal intervention varies, and the trial data reflects group averages, not a promise for any one person. Trying it for a genuine, consistent stretch of time and paying attention to your own symptoms and, where possible, your own bloodwork over that period is a more reliable way to judge whether it's doing anything for you than any general statistic can be.

How Do You Actually Use Spearmint Tea for PCOS?

Short answer: The research used one to two cups daily, steeped for five to ten minutes, for at least a month, and that's the most defensible pattern to follow since there's no dose-ranging study establishing anything more precise.

Both human trials used twice-daily spearmint tea over the study period, one for five days, one for thirty. That's a genuinely thin evidence base for pinning down an "ideal" amount, so the most honest guidance is to follow what was actually tested rather than any bolder claim: one cup daily to start if you're new to herbal teas, building to two cups when it's well tolerated, and not exceeding that without professional guidance. There's no evidence that more is better here, and consistency over weeks and months matters more than the exact quantity on any given day.

What Are the Safety Considerations?

Short answer: Spearmint tea is generally well tolerated in food-level amounts, but there's a genuine gap in research on its interaction with hormonal medications, so it's worth checking with a healthcare professional if you're on one.

Spearmint has a long history of culinary and herbal use, and reported side effects in the studies above were minimal, occasional digestive discomfort or headaches at higher intakes. Where more caution is warranted: during pregnancy or breastfeeding, concentrated or medicinal-strength spearmint is generally advised against, while ordinary dietary amounts are considered lower risk; if you're on medication that affects the liver, since some herbal-safety monographs flag a theoretical additive effect at high intakes; and if you're on any hormone-affecting medication, including hormonal contraception, anti-androgen medication, or thyroid treatment.

It's worth being honest here rather than reassuring: no dedicated clinical study has tested spearmint tea alongside hormonal contraceptives or PCOS medications specifically. That's a genuine gap in the evidence, not a confirmed "it's fine." If you're on any hormone-affecting medication, that's a conversation for your GP or pharmacist before adding spearmint tea in, rather than an assumption either way.

The same applies to anti-androgen medications like spironolactone, which work on a related pathway. Combining two things that both influence androgen levels isn't necessarily unsafe, but it's exactly the kind of situation where a quick conversation with whoever prescribed your medication is worth having before you start, rather than after.

What Mistakes Do People Make With Spearmint Tea?

Short answer: Expecting fast results, using it as a replacement for foundational PCOS care, and assuming more tea means a bigger effect are the three most common, avoidable mistakes.

Expecting quick results. The research timeline is measured in weeks and months, not days. Judging it after a week sets you up to abandon something that might genuinely be contributing.

Treating it as a replacement for the basics. Spearmint is a supportive addition, not a substitute for blood-sugar-friendly eating, movement, sleep, and stress management, which are doing far more structural work.

Drinking more than was studied. The research used one to two cups daily. There's no evidence that a larger amount produces a bigger effect, and doubling up isn't the same as doubling the benefit.

Stacking multiple hormone-active herbs without guidance. Herbs that influence hormonal pathways can interact with each other. A simple, consistent approach tends to be more useful, and easier to actually stick with, than a complicated stack of overlapping ingredients.

Frequently Asked Questions About Spearmint Tea and PCOS

Can spearmint tea cure PCOS?

No. PCOS has multiple interacting drivers, and no single ingredient addresses all of them. Spearmint tea's research is specifically about androgen levels, and it's best understood as one supportive piece of a broader approach, not a cure.

Is spearmint tea safe to drink every day with PCOS?

For most women, one to two cups daily, the amount used in the research, is well tolerated. If you're pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking any hormone-affecting medication, check with a healthcare professional first, since dedicated interaction research doesn't yet exist.

Will spearmint tea help with fertility?

It may support some of the hormonal factors that influence ovulation by lowering androgens, but there's no direct fertility research on spearmint tea, and it isn't a fertility treatment on its own. If fertility is a specific concern, a reproductive health specialist is the more appropriate next step.

How is spearmint different from peppermint tea?

Both are in the mint family, but peppermint is higher in menthol, while spearmint contains carvone and related compounds, which is the specific profile the anti-androgen research has looked at. Peppermint hasn't been studied in the same way for PCOS.

Can I drink spearmint tea alongside PCOS medication?

Speak with your prescribing doctor or pharmacist first, particularly if you're taking metformin, hormonal contraception, or anti-androgen medication. There's no dedicated interaction study to rely on either way, so professional guidance matters here.

Why did hormone levels change without a visible difference in hair growth?

Hair follicles that are already established respond slowly to hormonal shifts, typically over months rather than weeks. A 30-day study window may simply be too short to capture a change that's genuinely happening beneath the surface.

Final Thoughts

The research on spearmint tea and PCOS is real, but it's also genuinely small, and being honest about that is more useful to you than repeating the confident version you've probably seen online.

It won't reset your cycle, clear hirsutism overnight, or replace the foundational work of nutrition, movement, sleep, and stress management. What it can offer, based on the actual evidence, is a gentle, low-risk addition that's associated with lower testosterone under study conditions, which may support the broader hormonal environment your body is working to regulate.

Your body is trying to tell you something, and spearmint is one small, research-informed way of responding to it, not a shortcut past everything else. If you'd rather not source and brew loose spearmint twice a day yourself, our Hormonal Balance Tea is built around it.

Related Reading

• What is PCOS? A Plain-English Guide to Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
• PCOS and Insulin Resistance: Understanding the Root Cause
• PCOS and Acne: What's Going On With Your Skin
• How to Support Your Cycle After Coming Off the Pill
• The Best Foods for PCOS: A Non-Restrictive Guide

Health Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and does not replace personalised medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before introducing herbal remedies, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking other medication.

References

1. Grant, P. (2010). Spearmint herbal tea has significant anti-androgen effects in polycystic ovarian syndrome: a randomized controlled trial. Phytotherapy Research, 24(2), 186-188.
2. Akdoğan, M., Tamer, M. N., Cüre, E., Cüre, M. C., Köroğlu, B. K., & Delibas, N. (2007). Effect of spearmint (Mentha spicata Labiatae) teas on androgen levels in women with hirsutism. Phytotherapy Research, 21(5), 444-447.
3. Abbasi, E., Hajhashemy, Z., Askari, G., & Saneei, P. (2024). Association of herbal tea and follicle-stimulating hormone, anthropometric parameters, and fasting blood glucose levels among polycystic ovarian syndrome women: a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials. Clinical Nutrition Research, 13(3), 201-213.
4. Kumar, V., Kural, M. R., Pereira, B. M. J., & Roy, P. (2008). Spearmint induced hypothalamic oxidative stress and testicular anti-androgenicity in male rats: altered levels of gene expression, enzymes and hormones. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 46(12), 3563-3570.
5. Mehraban, M., Jelodar, G., & Rahmanifar, F. (2020). A combination of spearmint and flaxseed extract improved endocrine and histomorphology of ovary in experimental PCOS. Journal of Ovarian Research, 13, 32.

References