Can Men Drink Spearmint Tea? What We Know and Don’t

Quick answer: Spearmint tea is a traditional everyday drink for many people. But the two human studies of its hormone effects enrolled women with excess androgens and found lower free testosterone. We did not find human studies in men, so we cannot say what regular, heavy drinking would do. Men who are concerned about testosterone or fertility, or who take hormone treatment, should ask a doctor first.

We get this question regularly, and it is a fair one. Spearmint tea gets talked about almost entirely in relation to women and PCOS, so what about men? The honest answer is short, and it starts with admitting where the evidence stops.

Why the question comes up

In a 2010 randomized trial, women with PCOS-related hirsutism who drank spearmint tea twice a day for 30 days had significantly lower free and total testosterone. In a 2007 study of 21 women with hirsutism, free testosterone also fell after 5 days. Testosterone matters to men too, which is why people ask. You can read the details in spearmint tea and PCOS: what the two studies found.

What we know

• Spearmint tea has a long history as an everyday, caffeine-free drink across South Asian households.

• The studies that measured hormones enrolled women, and they lasted only 5 and 30 days.

• In those women, free testosterone fell.

What we do not know

• Whether spearmint tea changes hormone levels in men. We did not find human studies in men.

• Whether drinking it daily for months has any effect, because the studies were short.

• Whether the effect depends on how much is drunk. Both studies used two cups a day, and that is not a recommended amount.

A sensible approach for men

• Occasional cups of spearmint tea as a refreshing drink are a very different thing from drinking large amounts every day to affect hormones.

• If you are monitoring testosterone, trying to conceive, or taking hormone or fertility treatment, tell your doctor you drink it and ask whether to avoid it.

• If you notice anything unusual, stop and speak to a doctor.

For the practical side of everyday use, see our guides on spearmint vs peppermint tea and the best time to drink spearmint tea.

Sources

• Grant (2010): Spearmint herbal tea has significant anti-androgen effects in polycystic ovarian syndrome (Phytotherapy Research)

• Akdoğan et al. (2007): Effect of spearmint teas on androgen levels in women with hirsutism (Phytotherapy Research)

Both studies enrolled women. More on how we choose and describe sources is on our Editorial Standards page, and our Ingredient Research and Sources page summarizes the herb studies. This article is general information, not medical advice.