Insights & Discussion
Peppermint oil is a safe and effective short-term treatment for irritable bowel syndrome.
Nine studies that evaluated 726 patients were identified. The risk of bias was low for most of the factors assessed. Peppermint oil was found to be significantly superior to placebo for global improvement of IBS symptoms and improvement in abdominal pain. Although peppermint oil patients were significantly more likely to experience an adverse event, such events were mild and transient in nature. The most commonly reported adverse event was heartburn.
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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
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.