【文献解读】
前文已经提到，留兰香薄荷可以通过抗炎抗氧化的作用提供神经保护作用，保护我们的大脑与记忆认知。既然留兰香有这么强效的作用那它的安全性有保障吗？2017年3月，美国一个临床研究所，进行了一项留兰香安全性与耐受性的试验，并将相关结果发表在期刊《Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology》。
试验中招募了患有年龄相关性记忆障碍的健康成年人作为受试者进行评估。研究人员发现受试者连续90天服用留兰香后，对促卵泡激素、促黄体生成素或促甲状腺激素的血浆水平或其他安全参数(包括生命体征、血浆化学或全血血液学值)均无影响。此外，没有报告严重的不良事件。因此，这些结果表明，摄入留兰香提取物是安全的和良好的耐受性。
注：图来源于网络
这项研究是第一次详细说明留兰香薄荷对健康成年人的安全性。本文评估的提取物安全性仅局限于本研究描述的使用条件和进一步的安全性评价。因此，这些结果共同表明，在本研究描述的使用条件下，留兰薄荷提取物具有安全性和良好的耐受性。
【文献节选】
Spearmint (Mentha spicata L.) and spearmint extracts are Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) for use as flavoring in beverages, pharmaceuticals, and confectionaries. Studies of spearmint extracts in humans and animals have reported conflicting results with respect to toxicity. Since the chemical composition of these extracts was not reported and the spearmint source material was different, the relevance of these existing data to evaluating the risks associated with ingestion of a dried aqueous spearmint extract standardized to rosmarinic acid is not clear. Hence, the safety and tolerability of the dried aqueous spearmint extract was evaluated as part of a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in healthy adults with age-associated memory impairment. Ingestion of both 600 and 900 mg/day for 90 days had no effect on plasma levels of follicular stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, or thyroid stimulating hormone, or other safety parameters including vital signs, plasma chemistry or whole blood hematology values.
