Peppermint helps people with non-cardiac chest pain; difficulty swallowing

New Delhi, Apr 28 (ANI): Peppermint could help treat difficulty in swallowing food and non-cardiac chest pain, as per a study. "Peppermint oil is an established agent in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome. We tried to examine its effect on patients with swallowing and chest pain issues with no apparent cause," said Mohamed Khalaf, first author of the study. The research was published in Digestive Diseases and Sciences. Of the 38 patients enrolled in the pilot study, overall 63 per cent reported improvement of the symptoms. Patients were recruited from the Oesophageal Disorders Clinic. "Our findings suggest that peppermint may help prevent these symptoms by relaxing the smooth muscle in the lower oesophagus," said Donald O. Castell, senior author of the study. Peppermint oil has been known to have therapeutic effects in multiple disorders due to its muscle-relaxing properties. However, only two previous studies have investigated its role in the upper digestive tract. The study fo