Irritable Bowel Syndrome: How To Fight It With Peppermint?
Do you suffer from irritable bowel syndrome? Well, consuming mint can help you significantly reduce its symptoms. Do you dare to try this natural remedy?
Irritable bowel syndrome is a fairly common gastrointestinal disease and its symptoms can affect the quality of life of patients who suffer from it. Therefore, today we will discover how mint can help improve this condition. Why is it said to be so good? How does it help this disease?
The symptoms of this disease are usually diarrhea, abdominal pain and distention, predominant constipation and gas, as indicated in an article published in the Colombian Journal of Gastroenterology . The culprits can be some food groups, although stress can also have a significant impact. How can peppermint help?
The properties of mint
Peppermint as a medicinal plant has been investigated in various studies, such as the one published in the journal Annals of the Faculty of Medicine . It states that this product is capable of alleviating some symptoms related to problems in the digestive tract, for example:
- Diarrhea
- Gastritis.
- Parasites
- Gastrointestinal infections.
- Colic and stomach pain, as published in the journal Gastroenterology in the year 2020
Other even more recent studies, such as the one published in the journal Gastroenterology in 2020, once again affirm this relationship between mental consumption and the reduction of symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.
Peppermint can help alleviate all these diseases, in addition to irritable bowel syndrome, thanks to its analgesic, antispasmodic and soothing properties. It also has components that make it an excellent anti-inflammatory and carminative (it favors the expulsion of gases).
Why can it help fight irritable bowel syndrome? Because this disease, also known as mucous colitis, alternates periods of constipation and diarrhea that can be triggered by different foods or even stress.
Peppermint for irritable bowel syndrome
Now that we know a little more about the reasons why mint can be a great ally to combat this pathology, how can we consume it to take advantage of all its properties?
Let’s see, below, some options from which you can choose those that best suit what you need at all times.
Peppermint infusion to combat irritable bowel syndrome
This is the most traditional option and it offers two alternatives: buy already prepared mint sachets or buy the leaves and make the infusion ourselves. The first option has no major complications. Let’s see how to prepare a mint infusion in the case of choosing the second alternative.
Ingredients
- 20 grams of fresh mint.
- water (half a liter).
Preparation
- We put water in a saucepan on the fire.
- We wash the mint well and add it when the water starts to boil.
- At the boiling point, we turn off the heat and cover the saucepan.
- We let it rest for about 5 minutes.
- We strain and serve.
The ingredients of this infusion are intended to make an average of 4 cups of mint infusion. Taking it when we are not feeling well, or when the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome show signs of appearing, can help to alleviate them and cause a well-being.
Peppermint essential oil
Another way to consume peppermint for irritable bowel syndrome is in essential oil. How? Acquiring some capsules that we can find in any natural store. Depending on the mint content of each capsule, the container itself will specify how we should consume them.
However, it is normal to take between one and two peppermint capsules (about 180-200 mg) every day for about two weeks or a month, if we are going through a phase of the disease that we could consider “acute”. The positive thing about the capsules is that we can take them anywhere, so their consumption is quite flexible.
Both the infusion and the capsules will reduce the pain caused by irritable bowel syndrome. Also, we will notice how the other symptoms are much less frequent. Something that we must bear in mind is that this is a natural remedy. This means that it takes a few days to start seeing its benefits.
Peppermint can be a help, but not a cure
We recommend seeing a doctor if the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome do not improve or become more intense. In addition, we want to raise awareness about the importance of maintaining a strict diet to avoid, as much as possible, the symptoms that we have already seen.
Let’s not forget about stress either. Practicing meditation, yoga or some other type of sport, in addition to getting a good rest, will be important to keep irritable bowel syndrome as controlled as possible.
