National Chocolate Mint Day

Facts About National Chocolate Mint Day

Peppermint’s Cooling Sensation Is A Nerve Illusion

The signature “cool” feeling of mint chocolate comes from menthol in peppermint, which binds to TRPM8 receptors—proteins on nerve cells that normally respond to cold.

This tricks the brain into sensing coolness even at room temperature, which is why mint paired with rich chocolate can feel both warming and refreshing at the same time.  

Cocoa Flavanols May Support Heart And Brain Health

Dark chocolate used in many mint confections is rich in cocoa flavanols, plant compounds that have been shown to improve endothelial function (how well blood vessels relax) and increase blood flow to the brain.

Controlled studies have linked high-flavanol cocoa intake with modest improvements in blood pressure and certain cognitive tasks, though typical candy bars often contain much lower flavanol levels than research products.  

Chocolate And Mint Affect The Gut In Very Different Ways  

While peppermint oil can relax smooth muscle in the gut and is used in enteric-coated form to ease irritable bowel syndrome symptoms, chocolate—especially high-fat milk chocolate—may trigger reflux or discomfort in some people.

Clinical trials show peppermint oil capsules can reduce abdominal pain and bloating, highlighting how the “chocolate mint” duo combines an ingredient sometimes problematic for digestion with one that can be soothing in the right form. 

Mint Has Been A Medicinal Herb For Millennia

Long before it flavored chocolate, mint was documented in ancient Egyptian medical texts and described by Greek physicians such as Hippocrates and Dioscorides as a remedy for digestive complaints and headaches.

Archaeological finds show Mentha species were cultivated around the Mediterranean, and dried mint leaves were commonly used in teas and poultices centuries before commercial candy existed.

The Cacao Tree’s Seeds Were Once Drunk, Not Eaten

Modern chocolate mint candies depend on processed cocoa solids and cocoa butter, but for most of its history Theobroma cacao was consumed as a bitter, spiced drink.

In Mesoamerican cultures, ground cacao seeds were mixed with water, chili, and other aromatics; it was only after cacao reached Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries that sugar and later solid chocolate bars paved the way for pairing cocoa with flavorings like mint.   

Mint Chocolate Chip Is A Relatively Recent Innovation 

Although chocolate and mint had appeared together in candies earlier, mint chocolate chip ice cream only emerged in the 20th century.

By the 1970s, the green, mint-flavored base with dark chocolate “chips” had become popular enough to be adopted by major brands, and surveys from ice cream trade groups now consistently rank mint chocolate chip among the top five ice cream flavors in the United States.  

Breath-Freshening Uses Of Mint Have Scientific Backing

The association between minty sweets and fresh breath is not just psychological: menthol’s strong aroma helps mask volatile sulfur compounds responsible for bad breath, and some peppermint formulations show mild antibacterial activity against oral microbes.

Studies of herbal mouthrinses containing Mentha extracts report reductions in oral bacteria and halitosis scores, supporting the long-standing practice of using mint in lozenges and confections after meals.