Abstract

The impact of peppermint oil on the irritable bowel syndrome: a meta-analysis of the pooled clinical data

Alammar N1,2, Wang L3, Saberi B4, Nanavati J1, Holtmann G5, Shinohara RT6, Mullin GE7. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2019 Jan 17;19(1):21. doi: 10.1186/s12906-018-2409-0.
 
     

Author information

1 The Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.

2 King Khalid University Hospital, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2925, Riyadh, 11461, Saudi Arabia.

3 The Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.

4 The Division of Liver Medicine, Gastroenterology, The Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, NY, USA.

5 Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, University of Queensland, QLD, Brisbane, Australia.

6 Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, & Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

7 The Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA. gmullin1@jhmi.edu.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Peppermint oil (PO) has intrinsic properties that may benefit patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms. The study objective was to determine the effect of peppermint oil in the treatment of the IBS.

METHODS: We systematically searched MEDLINE (PubMed), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Cochrane CENTRAL), ClinicalTrials.gov, EMBASE (Ovid), and Web of Science for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of PO for IBS. We appraised the eligible studies by the Cochrane risk of bias tool. We performed random-effects meta-analysis on primary outcomes including global improvement in IBS symptoms and abdominal pain. A PRISMA-compliant study protocol is registered in PROSPERO Register [2016, CRD42016050917].

RESULTS: Twelve randomized trials with 835 patients were included. For global symptom improvement, the risk ratio (RR) from seven RCTs for the effect of PO (n = 253) versus placebo (n = 254) on global symptoms was 2.39 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.93, 2.97], I2 = 0%, z = 7.93 (p < 0.00001). Regarding abdominal pain, the RR from six RCTs for the effect of PO (n = 278) versus placebo (n = 278) was 1.78 [95% CI: 1.43, 2.20], I2 = 0%, z = 5.23 (p < 0.00001). Overall, there were no differences in the reported adverse effects: PO (32 events, 344 total, 9.3%) versus placebo (20 events, 327 total, 6.1%) for eight RCTs; RR 1.40 [95% CI: 0.87, 2.26] I2 = 0%, z = 1.39 (p = 0.16). The number needed to treat with PO to prevent one patient from having persistent symptoms was three for global symptoms and four for abdominal pain.

CONCLUSIONS: In the most comprehensive meta-analysis to date, PO was shown to be a safe and effective therapy for pain and global symptoms in adults with IBS.

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