Summary:
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a prevalent gastrointestinal disorder, is typically characterized by heartburn and regurgitation, as well as additional symptoms such as chest pain, bloating, nausea and dental erosions. A systematic review revealed that up to 20% of adults in western countries experience GERD symptoms at least once a week. The initial approach to alleviate GERD symptoms involves lifestyle modifications, such as quitting smoking and drinking, adopting low-fat diets, weight loss and refraining from eating before bedtime. If lifestyle changes prove insufficient, antacids and proton pump inhibitors such as omeprazole are commonly prescribed, however concerns about side effects such as indigestion and chronic kidney injury have been raised. A systematic review highlighted the antioxidant, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory functions of Rosa damascena, commonly known as rose, which is recommended in complementary medicine for oral use to alleviate GERD symptoms. Yet, only a limited number of clinical trials have been conducted to evaluate its effectiveness. This study investigated the impact of rose oil on GERD, comparing its efficacy with omeprazole. The results showed that despite observing a reduction in reflux symptoms in both groups, there was no statistically significant difference in the reduction of symptoms between the two groups before and after the intervention. The authors therefore concluded that the consumption of rose oil soft capsules alleviates symptoms of GERD similarly to omeprazole. They also noted that rose oil may exhibit comparable effects to proton pump inhibitors but without the associated side effects.
Abstract:
Background and objective: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) as one of the most common ailments of gastrointestinal system diminishes quality of life and impairs physical functioning and work productivity. Proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs), such as omeprazole play a more dominant role in amelioration of GERD symptoms; nonetheless, there is a growing concern about their side effects. According to traditional Persian medicine (TPM), the use of rose oil is recommended to alleviate GERD symptoms. Materials and methods: Therefore, a randomized double-blind controlled trial was performed on 70 subjects who were randomly enrolled in two groups and received either rose oil softgel or omeprazole capsule combined with the placebo. Data were collected within 3 sessions of visit using the Mayo-gastroesophageal reflux questionnaire (GERQ). Results: Although, our findings showed that reflux symptoms were decreased in both groups after receiving medicine and the decrement was significant in treatment group, before and after the intervention, this decrease was not significant between two groups. Conclusion: Given that the rose oil used in this study was produced according to the Iranian method and effective ingredients of Rosa damascena were preserved in sesame oil in production process, it seems that effectiveness of this product can be due to its tonic and enlivening properties. Consumption of rose oil soft capsule alleviates cardinal GERD symptoms similar to omeprazole. It seems that rose oil can have the same effects as PPIs in treatment of GERD but with no side effects due to its different mechanisms of action.
Article Publication Date: 15/03/2021
DOI: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2021.101361
