THE EFFECTS OF HERBAL REMEDIES ON DIGESTIVE HEALTH AND GASTROINTESTINAL SYMPTOMS

Abstract

Up to 50% of people in the Western population currently take herbal remedies, often to cure or prevent digestive issues. While the use of these remedies is primarily based on anecdotal or traditional evidence, controlled trials have shown some advantages for ginger in reducing nausea and vomiting, liquorice extracts in treating peptic ulceration, Chinese herbal medicine in managing irritable bowel syndrome, opium derivatives in alleviating diarrhea, and senna, ispaghula, and sterculia in relieving constipation. Herbal remedies include several bioactive chemicals that have both harmful and positive effects. There is a clear necessity for enhanced patient and physician education regarding herbal therapy, as well as the implementation of regulations to ensure the quality of herbal preparations. Additionally, further randomized controlled trials are needed to definitively determine the efficacy and safety of these preparations in treating digestive and other disorders.