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Peppermint: A Natural Remedy for Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Peppermint: A Natural Remedy for Irritable Bowel Syndrome

For individuals dealing with digestive issues or bowel disorders, can adding peppermint to a nutrition plan help manage symptoms and digestion?

Peppermint: A Natural Remedy for Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Peppermint

First grown in England, peppermint’s medicinal properties were soon recognized and are cultivated today in Europe and Northern Africa.

How It Is Used

  • Peppermint oil can be taken as a tea or in capsule form.
  • Consult a physician or licensed healthcare professional to determine the proper dosage for the capsule form.

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Peppermint is taken as a tea to treat general digestive problems. It is known to reduce the production of gas in the intestine. Today, researchers recognize peppermint as effective for irritable bowel syndrome when used in oil form. (N. Alammar et al., 2019) Peppermint oil has been approved for use by IBS patients in Germany. However, the FDA has not approved peppermint and oil to treat any condition, but it has listed peppermint and the oil as generally safe. (ScienceDirect, 2024)

Interactions With Other Medications

  • Individuals who take lansoprazole to reduce stomach acid may compromise the enteric coating of some commercial peppermint oil capsules. (Taofikat B. Agbabiaka et al., 2018)
  • This can happen using H2-receptor antagonists, proton pump inhibitors, and antacids.

Other potential interactions include: (Benjamin Kligler, Sapna Chaudhary 2007)

  • Amitriptyline
  • Cyclosporine
  • Haloperidol
  • Peppermint extract may increase serum levels of these medications.

It is recommended to discuss medication interactions with a healthcare provider before starting supplements if taking any of these medications.

Pregnancy

  • Peppermint is not recommended for use during pregnancy or by nursing individuals.
  • It is unknown if it could affect a developing fetus.
  • It is unknown if it can affect a nursing baby.

How To Use The Herb

It is not that common, but some individuals are allergic to peppermint. Peppermint oil should never be applied to the face or around mucous membranes (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. 2020). Using more than one form, such as tea and oil, is not recommended because it could lead to side effects.

  • Because the FDA does not regulate supplements like peppermint and others, their contents may be varied.
  • Supplements may contain harmful ingredients or not contain the active ingredient at all.
  • This is why seeking reputable brands and informing an individual’s healthcare team of what is being taken is highly recommended.

It has the potential to worsen certain conditions and should not be used by:

  • Individuals who have chronic heartburn. (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. 2020)
  • Individuals who have severe liver damage.
  • Individuals who have inflammation of the gallbladder.
  • Individuals who have obstruction of bile ducts.
  • Individuals who are pregnant.
  • Individuals with gallstones should consult their healthcare provider to see if it is safe.

Side Effects

  • The oil may cause an upset stomach or burning.
  • Enteric-coated capsules may cause a burning sensation in the rectum. (Brooks D. Cash et al., 2016)

Children and Infants

  • Peppermint was used to treat colic in infants but is not recommended today.
  • The menthol in the tea may cause infants and small children to choke.
  • Chamomile could be a possible alternative. Consult a healthcare provider to see if it is safe.

Beyond Adjustments: Chiropractic and Integrative Healthcare


References

Alammar, N., Wang, L., Saberi, B., Nanavati, J., Holtmann, G., Shinohara, R. T., & Mullin, G. E. (2019). The impact of peppermint oil on the irritable bowel syndrome: a meta-analysis of the pooled clinical data. BMC complementary and alternative medicine, 19(1), 21. doi.org/10.1186/s12906-018-2409-0

ScienceDirect. (2024). Peppermint Oil. www.sciencedirect.com/topics/nursing-and-health-professions/peppermint-oil#:~:text=As%20a%20calcium%20channel%20blocker,as%20safe%E2%80%9D%20%5B11%5D.

Agbabiaka, T. B., Spencer, N. H., Khanom, S., & Goodman, C. (2018). Prevalence of drug-herb and drug-supplement interactions in older adults: a cross-sectional survey. The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners, 68(675), e711–e717. doi.org/10.3399/bjgp18X699101

Kligler, B., & Chaudhary, S. (2007). Peppermint oil. American family physician, 75(7), 1027–1030.

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. (2020). Peppermint oil. Retrieved from www.nccih.nih.gov/health/peppermint-oil#safety

Cash, B. D., Epstein, M. S., & Shah, S. M. (2016). A Novel Delivery System of Peppermint Oil Is an Effective Therapy for Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptoms. Digestive diseases and sciences, 61(2), 560–571. doi.org/10.1007/s10620-015-3858-7

Khanna, R., MacDonald, J. K., & Levesque, B. G. (2014). Peppermint oil for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of clinical gastroenterology, 48(6), 505–512. doi.org/10.1097/MCG.0b013e3182a88357

What Chiropractic Patients Want To Know About Omega-3 Fish Oil

What Chiropractic Patients Want To Know About Omega-3 Fish Oil

Fish oil is used as a natural health supplement that treats a variety of issues. It provides beneficial omega-3 fatty acids that promote good health throughout the body and helps to cure or prevent certain health conditions. However, some people are not convinced. They view fish oil as nothing more than snake oil with no real health benefits. Nothing could be further from the truth. Researchers at Harvard University ranked omega-3 fatty acid deficiency as the sixth highest cause of death in the United States.

What is Fish Oil and what are Omega-3 Fatty Acids?

Fish oil is precisely what it sounds like, oil from the tissues of oily fish. While you can get it by eating certain fatty, cold water fish like wild caught salmon, white fish, anchovies, herring, and sardines, many people opt for the fish oil supplements available at health food stores and even supermarket shelves.

Omega-3 fatty acids are highly concentrated fish oil. They are polyunsaturated fatty acids and must be introduced into the body either via the food eaten or supplements. It is not like many other fatty acids that the body can produce. Fish oil has two vital types of omega-3, eicosatetraenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

How is Fish Oil Used?

Fish oil supplements are intended to be taken just like a daily vitamin. Because of its many health benefits like preventing diseases and reducing the symptoms of certain conditions, it has become a standard in most people�s health routines and is even included in some multi-vitamins. It is taken in the form of a capsule. It can be purchased over the counter, but the FDA has approved a prescription version fish oil that lowers high triglyceride levels.

omega 3 fish oil health el paso, tx.
Fish oil omega three gel capsule

What are the Benefits of Fish Oil?

Fish oil provides a number of health benefits ranging from heart health to treating diabetic complications that affect the kidneys. It also helps:

  • Lowering blood pressure
  • Lowering cholesterol levels
  • Preventing heart disease and stroke
  • Preventing clogged arteries
  • Relieving certain heart conditions such as irregular heartbeat, heart failure, chest pain, and preventing blood clots
  • It is used after bypass surgery to aid in healing as well as with heart transplants
  • Kidney disease
  • Kidney failure
  • Cirrhosis
  • Arthritis
  • Cancer
  • Anxiety
  • Berger�s disease
  • Brain health including relieving depressing, PTSD, migraines, ADHD, and other mental health issues

There are many other fish oil benefits. It indeed is a wonder health supplement.

How to Take Fish Oil

Fish oil typically comes in a gel-filled capsule. It is essential that it not be punctured before taking. Patients should follow the direction exactly as they are on the label or as the doctor prescribed. It is a good idea for them to talk to their doctor before they start taking fish oil to make sure that it does not interact with any other medications that they are taking.

Potential Side Effects of Fish Oil

Typically, fish oil will not have any side effects. Some mild ones include an upset stomach, back pain, mild rash on the skin, belching, and an unusual or unpleasant taste in the mouth. More severe side effects that should warrant a call to the doctor include flu symptoms: fever, body aches, chills; irregular or uneven heartbeats; and chest pain.

An allergic reaction to fish oil is serious and the patient should seek immediate medical attention if they experience any of these symptoms:

  • Hives
  • Breathing difficulties
  • Swelling: throat, tongue, or face

How to Choose Good Fish Oil

Anyone considering taking fish oil should first talk to their doctor who can recommend a therapeutic dose. Read the label to determine how much omega-3 is in each capsule as well as the recommended dosage. Doctor recommended brands are best, but in the absence of a doctor recommendation, a reputable brand by an established, trusted, trustworthy company is best.

Fish oil is excellent for all-around health and chiropractic patients taking the supplement can enjoy better health and better results from their chiropractic care.

Chiropractic Alignment