Background and Purpose: Functional dyspepsia is a common gastrointestinal disorder characterized by discomfort and fullness after eating, early satiety, epigastric pain, or burning. While not life-threatening, it significantly impacts the quality of life of patients. This study reviews evidence-based interventions by Persian Medicine specialists for treating functional dyspepsia.
Materials and Methods: This systematic review was conducted in 2024, searching PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Iranian databases such as SID and Magiran. Inclusion criteria encompassed all Iranian clinical trial articles on functional dyspepsia and complementary medicine published in Persian and English from 2000 to 2024. Keywords included terms for the disease (dyspepsia, functional dyspepsia, Helicobacter, flatulence, gastric pain, fullness, epigastric pain, fullness after a meal) and types of interventions (herbal medicine, Persian medicine, complementary medicine, Iran, Iranian medicine) in English and Persian. Abstracts of all relevant titles were screened, and articles not meeting the inclusion criteria were excluded. Full texts of the remaining articles were then reviewed for necessary information.
Results: The findings indicate that several plants —such as Ajwain, Black Cumin, Celery, Dill, Thyme, Mastic, Pepper, Ginger, Oregano, Jollab syrup, Coriander, Amla, Rose, Basil leaves, Aniseed, Valerian, Black Seed, Savory, and Broadleaf Plantain seeds— were effective in alleviating functional dyspepsia symptoms either alone or in combination in clinical trials.
Conclusion: Medicinal plants recommended in Persian Medicine, whether used alone or alongside modern medicine, can effectively and safely improve dyspepsia symptoms. However, more high-quality, large-scale, and rigorously designed clinical trials are needed to establish definitive therapeutic effects. |
