AsianScientist (Apr. 20, 2011) – University of Adelaide researchers have shown for the first time how peppermint helps to relieve Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), a gastrointestinal disorder which affects up to 20 percent of the population.
Researchers from the University’s Nerve-Gut Research Laboratory have found that peppermint helps soothe the bowel by acting through a specific anti-pain channel called TRPM8 which reduces pain sensing fibers, in particular those activated by spicy foods.
IBS is a functional disorder of the bowel characterized by abdominal discomfort, bloating and diarrhea and/or constipation without an identifiable organic cause. It costs millions of dollars each year in lost productivity, work absenteeism and health care. Currently, there is no cure for IBS and it often follows a relapsing and remitting course over a person’s lifetime.
“This is a debilitating condition and affects many people on a daily basis, particularly women who are twice as likely to experience Irritable Bowel Syndrome,” says Dr. Stuart Brierley.
According to Dr. Brierley, there also appears to be a definite link between IBS and a former bout of gastroenteritis, which leaves nerve pain fibers in a heightened state. This causes alterations in mechanisms in the gut wall and results in ongoing pain.
While peppermint has been commonly prescribed by naturopaths for many years, there has been no clinical evidence until now to demonstrate why it is so effective in relieving pain.
“This is potentially the first step in determining a new type of mainstream clinical treatment for Irritable Bowel Syndrome,” he says.
With the recent floods in Queensland and Victoria, Dr Brierley thinks that a spike in gastroenteritis cases in Australia is likely due to the contamination of some water supplies in affected regions. According to him, case studies in Europe and Canada have shown that many people who contracted gastroenteritis from contaminated water supplies went on to experience IBS symptoms that persisted for at least eight years.
Apart from gastroenteritis and food intolerance, IBS can be brought on by food poisoning, stress, or a reaction to antibiotics, and in some cases because of genetics.
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Source: University of Adelaide.
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