In this article, you can learn ways on how to use peppermint essential oil for IBS effectively. Peppermint oil is one of the best natural remedies for IBS as you can see from the studies mentioned below.
What is IBS?
IBS is Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a chronic disorder that commonly affects the large intestine. The signs and symptoms of IBS include constipation, diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain, bloating and gas.
Although there is no known cure for IBS, treatment is carried out to improve symptoms. Doctors prescribe medication to help with any of the different symptoms that you are experiencing.
However, people are turning to natural remedies that pose no scary side effects and are just as effective as conventional drugs. One of these natural remedies is peppermint essential oil! In this article, I want to show you how to use peppermint essential oil for IBS.
Peppermint Essential Oil for IBS
Peppermint essential oil (scientific name: Mentha x Piperita) is a highly concentrated liquid that is extracted from peppermint leaves through steam distillation. When it comes to essential oils for IBS, peppermint is the number one option.
Peppermint has been used for centuries as an herbal remedy for digestive problems. It has been used in tea form to quell an upset stomach. But when it comes to IBS, peppermint essential oil is the one that has been proven to help, according to many studies.
In this 2005 study, researchers concluded, “Taking into account the currently available drug treatments for IBS, peppermint oil…may be the drug of first choice in IBS patients with non-serious constipation or diarrhea to alleviate general symptoms and to improve quality of life.”
A 2014 study published in the Journal of Clinical Enterology, researchers found that peppermint oil is a safe and effective short-term treatment for IBS.
This 2007 study concluded that a 4 weeks treatment with peppermint oil improves abdominal symptoms in patients with irritable bowel syndrome.
Peppermint essential oil is useful in treating IBS because of anti-spasmodic properties that help ease the intestinal spasms that cause pain, abdominal cramping, bloating, constipation and diarrhea. It also helps curb nausea and reduce stress that leads to IBS flareups.
How to Use Peppermint Essential Oil for IBS
- Enteric-coated peppermint oil capsules. The best way to ingest food-grade peppermint oil is by taking enteric-coated peppermint oil capsules. An enteric-coated capsule helps prevent heartburn and stomach upset, as well as ensure that the peppermint reaches that part of your gastrointestinal tract that helps reduce the severity of IBS symptoms. To know how the recommended dosage for internal use, consult your doctor. Irritablebowelsyndrome.net says it is recommended to take the equivalent of 0.2-0.4mL, 3 times per day.
- Diffusion/inhaling. Diffuse 6 drops of peppermint oil in a cold-air diffuser with the recommended amount of water. The fresh and minty scent helps alleviate nausea, perk up your brain and lift a dull mood. Inhaling peppermint helps calm an upset stomach as well. If you do not have a diffuser, simply rub 2 drops of peppermint oil between your palms and inhale deeply through your nostrils.
- Rub on your belly. Rubbing diluted peppermint oil on your belly can alleviate abdominal pain and stomach pain. Simply mix 3-6 drops of peppermint essential oil in 1 tsp of coconut oil then slowly rub on your stomach in a clockwise direction. You can apply 2-3 times a day to feel relief.
Where to Get Peppermint Oil
Always ensure to buy 100% pure peppermint essential oil, without any additives.
Also Read:
- 7 Best Supplements for IBS
- 7 Natural Remedies for IBS that Work!
- List of Best Vegetables for IBS
- 5 Teas for Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Top 8 Good Foods for Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- 10 Worst Foods to Avoid When you Have IBS
Have you tried using peppermint essential oil for IBS? Share your experience in the comments below.
I’m wary about ingesting peppermint essential oil. I have a very sensitive stomach and I’m just not risking it. But I’m interested in rubbing it on my belly, though! Thanks!
Rubbing peppermint oil on belly it’s the best thing to do.
It helps me alot I cant go without my peppermint oil
I know right! Peppermint oil is everything! So grateful it exists in the world.
What does “slowly rub on your stomach in a clockwise direction” mean???
When I lie in bed and look my watch the clock hands move in one direction but if i place the palm of my hand over my belly, clock hands are seen from the ceiling and they move in the oposite direction.
Saying “move in clockwise direction” is like saying “move to the left” to the left of what??? Your left, my left or the left of the room or the planet???
OMG!
You have got to be kidding me.
When I lie in bed, ‘the clock hands from the ceiling’ absolutely DON’T move in an opposite direction to the clock on my watch. They move in the same direction.
Anyway, to help you: Basically just follow the clock on your wrist. Look at your watch and make your palm go in a circle following the circle your watch takes.
Clockwise always remains clockwise. Why would the term clockwise even exist if it wasn’t something standard to follow?