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Browse medicines, supplements, herbs, and health foods. Each profile brings community reports and linked research into one clear view.
Browse medicines, supplements, herbs, and health foods. Each profile brings community reports and linked research into one clear view.
Oil from peppermint leaves (Mentha x piperita) whose menthol relaxes the smooth muscle of the gut. The evidence is for enteric-coated capsules in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): the coating lets the oil pass the stomach and release in the intestine. Meta-analyses of up to 12 trials found more people improved on peppermint oil than placebo, roughly one extra responder for every 3 to 7 treated, but two recent large trials (2020 and 2021) found no significant benefit over placebo, and a 2022 review rated the evidence very low quality. Heartburn is the most common side effect.
18 of 24 results reported a benefit, from 9 published studies.
9 studies, including a review of trials
Reviews pooling mostly small, older trials of enteric-coated capsules favour peppermint oil, but the two newest trials (189 people in 2020, and a 2021 US trial) missed their main measures, and a 2022 review rated the evidence very low quality.
Side effects: measured in 6 results. 4 results reported more side effects than the comparison group.
These are the figures the studies reported, not a prediction for any one person. Where several studies measured the same thing in the same unit, we show a simple average and say so. Every individual result is listed below.
See every resultBloating, IBS, gut issues, SIBO, leaky gut, and general digestive discomfort.
Also known as: Mentha piperita oil, Enteric-coated peppermint oil
Every published result for this pair, extracted and audited.
These charts group published studies by what they reported and how they were run — green marks studies that reported a benefit for this pairing. Tiers run from pooled analyses of many trials (strongest) to one-off observational reports.
Direction of reported outcomes for Peppermint Oil in digestive health.
Study designs behind these findings.
Hand-selected PubMed studies, linked to the originals.
Ordered by strength of evidence, then result direction.
01Exercise-induced stress behavior, gut-microbiota-brain axis and diet: a systematic review for athletesClark A, et al. · Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · 2016PMID 27924137 ↗02Probiotics for irritable bowel syndrome: A network meta-analysisFord AC et al. · Am J Gastroenterol · 2024PMID 34286461 ↗03Ginger for treating nausea and vomiting: an overview of systematic reviews and meta-analysesLi Z, et al. · International journal of food sciences and nutrition · 2024PMID 38072785 ↗04Engineered probiotic ameliorates ulcerative colitis by restoring gut microbiota and redox homeostasisGuo P, et al. · Cell host & microbe · 2024PMID 39197456 ↗05[Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) - Therapy, nutrition, microbiome]Be the first to share what you noticed with Peppermint Oil for digestive health. Why counts start empty.
Every measured outcome, one row per finding - numbers exactly as reported.
| Study | Design | n | Duration | Outcome measured | Reported result | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PMID 35942669 2022 | Meta-analysis | 1030 | - | Abdominal pain (relative risk of pain not improving) | 0.76 (95% CI 0.62-0.93; 95% CI 4-24) | Benefit |
| PMID 35942669 2022 | Meta-analysis | 1030 | - | adverse event rates | 1.57 (95% CI 1.04-2.37) | Harm / risk |
| PMID 35942669 2022 | Meta-analysis | 1030 | - | Global IBS symptoms (relative risk of not improving) | 0.65 (95% CI 0.43-0.98; 95% CI 2.5-71) | Benefit |
| PMID 30654773 2019 | Meta-analysis | 835 | - | abdominal pain | 1.78 (95% CI: 1.43, 2.20; p < 0.00001) | Benefit |
| PMID 30654773 2019 | Meta-analysis | 835 | - | adverse effects | 1.40 (95% CI: 0.87, 2.26; p = 0.16) | Unclear |
| PMID 30654773 2019 | Meta-analysis | 835 | - | global symptom improvement | 2.39 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.93, 2.97; p < 0.00001) | Benefit |
| PMID 24100754 2014 | Meta-analysis | - | - | adverse events | reported qualitatively | Harm / risk |
| PMID 24100754 2014 | Meta-analysis | 392 | - | global improvement of IBS symptoms | 2.23 | Benefit |
| PMID 24100754 2014 | Meta-analysis | 357 | - | improvement in abdominal pain | 2.14 | Benefit |
| PMID 19008265 2008 | Meta-analysis | 392 | - | Persistent IBS symptoms (relative risk, 4 trials) | 0.43 | Benefit |
| PMID 9672344 1998 | Meta-analysis | - | - | IBS symptom relief (meta-analysis of 5 double-blind RCTs; flawed trials) | reported qualitatively | Unclear |
| PMID 34319275 2021 | Randomised trial | - | 6-week | IBS symptom severity (IBS-SSS) change over 6 weeks | d = -0.11 (P = 0.97) | No benefit |
| PMID 31470006 2020 | Randomised trial | 189 | 8 weeks | Abdominal pain response, ileocolonic-release capsules | reported qualitatively (P = .385) | No benefit |
| PMID 31470006 2020 | Randomised trial | 189 | 8 weeks | Abdominal pain response, small-intestinal-release capsules | reported qualitatively (P = .170) | No benefit |
| PMID 31470006 2020 | Randomised trial | 189 | 8 weeks | Abdominal pain, small-intestinal-release capsules | reported qualitatively (P = .016) | Benefit |
| PMID 31470006 2020 | Randomised trial | 189 | 8 weeks | Adverse events, ileocolonic-release capsules | reported qualitatively (P < .005) | Harm / risk |
| PMID 31470006 2020 | Randomised trial | 189 | 8 weeks | Adverse events, small-intestinal-release capsules | reported qualitatively (P < .005) | Harm / risk |
| PMID 31470006 2020 | Randomised trial | 189 | 8 weeks | Discomfort, small-intestinal-release capsules | reported qualitatively (P = .020) | Benefit |
| PMID 31470006 2020 | Randomised trial | 189 | 8 weeks | IBS severity, small-intestinal-release capsules | reported qualitatively (P = .020) | Benefit |
| PMID 31470006 2020 | Randomised trial | 189 | 8 weeks | Overall relief of IBS symptoms, ileocolonic-release capsules | reported qualitatively (P = .351) | No benefit |
| PMID 31470006 2020 | Randomised trial | 189 | 8 weeks | Overall relief of IBS symptoms, small-intestinal-release capsules | reported qualitatively (P = .317) | No benefit |
| PMID 19507027 2010 | Randomised trial | 90 | 8 weeks | Adverse reactions | reported qualitatively | No benefit |
| PMID 19507027 2010 | Randomised trial | 90 | 8 weeks | Patients free from abdominal pain or discomfort at week 8 (14 on peppermint oil vs 6 on placebo) | reported qualitatively (P < 0.001) | Benefit |
| PMID 19507027 2010 | Randomised trial | 90 | 8 weeks | Quality of life | reported qualitatively | Benefit |
| PMID 19507027 2010 | Randomised trial | 90 | 8 weeks | Severity of abdominal pain | reported qualitatively | Benefit |
| PMID 9430014 1997 | Randomised trial | 110 | 1 month | alleviation of the severity of abdominal pain | reported qualitatively (P < 0.05) | Benefit |
| PMID 9430014 1997 | Randomised trial | 110 | 1 month | fewer borborygmi | reported qualitatively (P < 0.05) | Benefit |
| PMID 9430014 1997 | Randomised trial | 110 | 1 month | less abdominal distension | reported qualitatively (P < 0.05) | Benefit |
| PMID 9430014 1997 | Randomised trial | 110 | 1 month | less flatulence | reported qualitatively (P < 0.05) | Benefit |
| PMID 9430014 1997 | Randomised trial | 110 | 1 month | reduced stool frequency | reported qualitatively (P < 0.05) | Benefit |