ADELAIDE, Australia, April 19 (UPI) -- Peppermint activates an "anti-pain" channel in the colon, soothing inflammatory pain in the gastrointestinal tract, researchers in Australia say.
Dr. Stuart Brierley of the University of Adelaide says peppermint has been used for medical reasons for thousands years, but there had been no clinical evidence on why it is so effective in relieving pain.
"Our research shows that peppermint acts through a specific anti-pain channel called TRPM8 to reduce pain sensing fibres, particularly those activated by mustard and chili," Brierley says in a statement.
"This is potentially the first step in determining a new type of mainstream clinical treatment for irritable bowel syndrome."
Irritable bowel syndrome causes abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea and/or constipation and affects about 20 percent of Australians. There is no cure and it can last over a person's lifetime.
Apart from gastroenteritis and food intolerance, irritable bowel syndrome can be brought on by food poisoning, stress, a reaction to antibiotics and in some cases it is genetic.
"This is a debilitating condition and affects many people on a daily basis, particularly women who are twice as likely to experience it," Brierley says.
The findings are published in the journal Pain.
