Peppermint Oil and IBS: Why Experts Recommend It
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If you’re in search of a natural remedy to add to your irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) armory, you may not need to look any further than peppermint oil.
Peppermint has been used for millennia to alleviate digestive troubles. Its use dates back to the times of ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH).
Science Has Spoken When It Comes to Peppermint Oil and IBS
What sets peppermint oil apart from other natural remedies for IBS? In its treatment guidelines, the American College of Gastroenterology has suggested peppermint oil for relief of IBS symptoms such as abdominal pain.
The group based its verdict on a number of scientific studies, including a review article in the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology. The authors found that, in nine studies that included 726 patients, peppermint oil was “significantly superior” to a placebo for short-term use when it came to improving overall IBS symptoms.
A separate research analysis found that, in 12 randomized trials that included 835 patients, peppermint oil was a safe and effective option for abdominal pain and overall symptoms (such as constipation and diarrhea) among adults with IBS.
How Peppermint Oil Can Soothe IBS Symptoms
So what is it about peppermint oil that makes it a potential IBS symptom reliever? “Peppermint oil is a muscle relaxant. As such, it produces an antispasmodic effect, targeting specific symptoms of IBS, in particular pain, cramps, and bloating,” says Scott McDougall, the director and a registered manager of the Independent Pharmacy in Bristol, United Kingdom.
When food is digested, a natural series of muscle contractions in the gut called peristalsis helps push food through your digestive system and urine to your bladder, McDougall says. In people with IBS, the nerves that facilitate peristalsis are much more sensitive, and the inner wall of the digestive system reacts more strongly to certain foods that don’t typically cause issues in people without IBS, he says.
Common foods that can trigger IBS symptoms, according to Mayo Clinic, include milk and dairy products, wheat, beans, citrus fruits, and carbonated beverages, among others. In people with IBS, the gut’s reaction to these foods often causes pain, bloating, and other symptoms, says McDougall.
Certain components of peppermint oil may calm the digestive pains common in IBS. “The menthol in peppermint has a decompressing effect on the intestinal smooth muscle. This leads to pain relief for bloating and constipation,” says Niket Sonpal, MD, an adjunct assistant professor at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine and a clinical instructor at Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center in New York City.
Peppermint oil also has properties that can alleviate inflammation and ward off bacteria, Dr. Sonpal adds.
What Kinds of Peppermint Oil Do Experts Recommend?
Peppermint comes in a variety of forms, including oral capsules, topical essential oils, and diluted extracts for food flavoring. Peppermint can also come in the form of teas, but according to McDougall, “Peppermint tea is not manufactured with medical use in mind, and it has no proven effect on IBS.”
For IBS symptoms, oral capsules are the most recommended form of peppermint oil, because research has suggested they are the most effective for medical purposes, McDougall says.
If you want to try peppermint oil, it’s key to know what to look for in an oral supplement. “When it comes to swallowing peppermint oils, look for ones that are labeled ‘therapeutic grade,’ since these are safer to swallow,” Sonpal recommends.
You should also be aware that peppermint oil supplements can result in mild side effects. “It can cause acid reflux and heartburn, so it should be taken in moderation or under consultation with a doctor or pharmacist,” McDougall says.
The NCCIH echoes this caution, noting that oral peppermint oil supplements can have side effects of nausea, dry mouth, abdominal pain, and, in rare cases, allergic reactions. Peppermint oil capsules that are enteric-coated are less likely to lead to heartburn, the NCCIH states.
IBGard is a specific peppermint oil supplement that Jill Deutsch, MD, recommends to many of her patients with IBS. “IBGard is marketed as a peppermint oil supplement that acts premeal to help reduce gastrointestinal spasm that can cause pain in relation to eating, which is a hallmark of IBS symptoms,” says Dr. Deutsch, who is a gastroenterologist and the director of the functional gastrointestinal disorders program at Yale New Haven Hospital in Connecticut.
It’s important to note that in the studies where peppermint oil was shown to improve IBS symptoms, participants took the supplement daily for four weeks, Deutsch says. In other words, it hasn’t been shown to work when it’s taken only on an as-needed basis.
Be sure to consult with your doctor before adding a peppermint oil supplement to your IBS treatment regimen.
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