The effectiveness of peppermint oil to relieve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome

Abstract

Background: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is amongst the 33 known functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. The exact cause of IBS is still unknown and for decades, experts and people with IBS have misguidedly believed that IBS was a psychiatric disorder. This has created great challenges in providing adequate treatment to alleviate symptoms of IBS. Due to this patients with IBS were mainly misdiagnosed. In recent years complementary and alternative therapies have become an integral part of the health care system. Additionally one of the alternative therapies for IBS is Peppermint oil (PO). The following PICO question, therefore, was formulated: Does the use of Peppermint oil provide symptom relief in adults suffering from Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)? (P) Adults with irritable bowel syndrome (I) Peppermint oil capsules (C) Placebo (O) Relief of irritable bowel syndrome symptoms. Method: Research related to the chosen topic and that has been conducted between 2007 and 2020 were considered for this dissertation. Studies that were not in the English language, recruited individuals below the age of 18 years or used different alternative therapies were excluded as well. The following databases were utilized for this research: Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) via EBSCO, Academic Search Complete via Elton B. Stephens Co (EBSCO), and Medline thru ProQuest and by making use of google scholar. Six articles, all RCTs, met the inclusion and exclusion criteria and were chosen for this dissertation. The CASP tool was used to assist the author to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the methodology of each study. Any ethical issues that were observed in the studies were considered and presented as well. Results: The findings were consistent in favoring PO as an alternative treatment which has a potential benefit in alleviating IBS symptoms. Yet, although PO has the potential of alleviating the IBS symptoms an adverse effect was observed. Heartburn was an adverse effect that might appear in those individuals taking PO. However, it can be concluded that PO provides an alleviation of IBS symptoms in most cases. Implications and recommendations: Further research is required to address the methodological limitations, alternative therapies related to IBS such as the PO, and the situation of IBS locally. This will aid in formulating new protocols and enhance treatment in people suffering from IBS locally and globally.