A new clinical study conducted in Iran aimed to determine the effect of peppermint extract on the severity of nausea, vomiting and anorexia in patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy.
Nausea, vomiting, and anorexia are the most common side effects reported in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.
The randomized controlled trial, included 84 patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy. They were then assigned to 2 groups of experimental and control.
Patients in the experimental group received 40 drops of peppermint extract mixed in 20 cc of tap water every 8 hours, while patients in the control group received 40 drops of distilled water mixed in 20 cc of tap water every 8 hours.
The severity of nausea, vomiting, and anorexia was measured and recorded before the intervention, and immediately, 24 and 48 hours after the chemotherapy.
The study results showed that peppermint extract has the effect of reducing the severity of nausea and vomiting and improving the appetite in patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy.
Peppermint extract thus has the potential to be used as a non-invasive and low-cost nursing intervention along with other treatments some of the most common chemotherapy side effects.
Peppermint calms the stomach muscles and improves the flow of bile, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMM). This makes it suitable generally for people who have indigestion.
Peppermint is a popular traditional remedy for a number of conditions. It is believed to have calming effects. It is used to treat flatulence, menstrual pains, diarrhea, nausea, depression-related anxiety, muscle and nerve pain, the common cold, indigestion, and IBS.