Insights & Discussion
Peppermint oil proved more effective than placebo in treating irritable bowel syndrome symptoms, but with an increased rate of adverse events.
In evaluating the effectiveness and safety of peppermint oil for irritable bowel syndrome, the researchers searched medical literature for randomised controlled trials involving peppermint oil treatments in IBS. A systematic review and analysis included trials up to the date of April 2nd, 2022. The team assessed the efficacy and safety of the peppermint oil treatment based on various factors including effect on global IBS symptoms and abdominal pain along with incidence of adverse events or gastro-oesophageal reflux.
From the literature review, 10 suitable randomised control trials were identified, encompassing a total of 1030 patients. The results showed that peppermint oil performed better than a placebo in lessening overall irritable bowel syndrome symptoms and reducing abdominal pain. However, this was coupled with a higher rate of recorded adverse events in patients who were administered peppermint oil. Despite the positive performance of peppermint oil over placebo, the evidence quality considered for this conclusion was very low.
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Peppermint oil and a placebo both exhibited substantial improvement in relieving symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, without any significant differences between them.
2021 American Journal of Gastroenterology Peppermint Oil Treatment for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial Nee J, Ballou S, Kelley JM, Kaptchuk TJ, Hirsch W, Katon J, et al.
Randomised Controlled Trial Irritable Bowel Syndrome Peppermint Oil
In a meticulous six-week study conducted at a single academic center in the United States, individuals diagnosed with moderate to severe irritable bowel syndrome were randomly assigned to take either enteric-coated peppermint oil or a placebo thrice daily. The study was randomized, double-blinded, and placebo-controlled, ensuring unbiased results. The main outcome measure to assess the effectivity of the treatments was the change in irritable bowel syndrome severity scores from the start of treatment to the conclusion of the six-week period.
The results revealed marked improvements in the severity of irritable bowel syndrome symptoms in both groups—from those taking peppermint oil to those on placebo—from the beginning of the regimen to the end of six weeks. Although the peppermint oil group reported a slightly less improvement than the placebo group, the difference in their results was considered insignificant. These findings remained consistent even after conducting sensitivity analyses and accommodating missing data—there were still no observable significant differences in the outcomes between the two groups.
Peppermint oil significantly reduces colonic spasm during colonoscopy, but does not affect the adenoma detection rate or cecal intubation time.
2019 The American Journal of Gastroenterology Peppermint Oil Decreases Colonic Spasm Without Significantly Affecting Cecal Intubation Time and Adenoma Detection Rate: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Nehme, Fredy; Al Momani, Laith; Alomari, Mohammad ; Zafar, Yousaf
Systematic Review Irritable Bowel Syndrome Peppermint Peppermint Oil
The methodology of this research primarily involved a review of randomized controlled trials that compared the use of peppermint oil and a placebo during colonoscopies. The various trials selected for review were identified through comprehensive searches of databases such as Medline, Google Scholar, and Cochrane up until May 2019. The analysis took into account key variables, including the extent of peristalsis inhibition, cecal intubation time, and adenoma detection rates.
In terms of results, there was significant variation in the dosage and administration of the peppermint oil among the 5 trials that qualified for the review. Comparisons were made between a group of 623 subjects who received peppermint oil and a placebo group of 239 individuals. It was found that peppermint oil led to a significant increase in the complete inhibition of colonic peristalsis. However, the cecal intubation times and adenoma detection rates were similar across both the peppermint oil and placebo groups, despite the high level of variation observed.
Peppermint oil has been shown to be a safe and effective treatment for pain and overall symptoms in adults suffering from irritable bowel syndrome.
2019 BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies The impact of peppermint oil on the irritable bowel syndrome: a meta-analysis of the pooled clinical data Alammar N, Wang L, Saberi B, Nanavati J, Holtmann G, Shinohara RT, et al.
Systematic Review Irritable Bowel Syndrome Peppermint Oil
In their research, the authors conducted a systematic search across numerous scientific databases, including, but not limited to, MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, ClinicalTrials.gov, EMBASE, and Web of Science. The aim was to find randomized controlled trials that investigated the effects of peppermint oil on irritable bowel syndrome. They assessed the eligible studies using the Cochrane risk of bias tool.
The primary outcomes they concentrated on were global improvement in irritable bowel syndrome symptoms and abdominal pain. Through their intensive research, they were able to include twelve randomized trials with 835 patients. They performed a random-effects meta-analysis on the primary outcomes. Peppermint oil was found to significantly improve global symptoms and reduce abdominal pain. This demonstrated that peppermint oil could be a beneficial treatment option for irritable bowel syndrome patients.