Doctors of McMaster University in Canada just published the newest research results on peppermint oil in the British Medical Journal. It was stated that it was much more efficient than drugs on irritable bowel syndrome. Is anyone surprised?

It didn’t exactly take my breath away, when the results of that research on the use of peppermint oil on irritable bowel syndrome was published. Two other questions were put on the roster by it, though. Why was it published in the United Kingdom and not on the other side of the Atlantic? And why must every tummy ache, belly ache, and head ache be a syndrome these days?

The good doctors had to research the results from dozens of studies done over 60 years to arrive at a conclusion everybody knew. If pharmaceutical companies would have to make 60 years studies, many drug deaths could be avoided. The researchers found that peppermint oil gave relief in 40 per cent of cases, as opposed to 20 per cent on drugs.

I attest them that they meant well because they advocate a national and international change in treatment guidelines to reflect these findings. Not surprisingly the highly paid expert on irritable bowel syndrome Professor Roger Jones of King’s College declined to make any change. I just can’t remember which pharmaceutical company pays for the good professor’s chair.

At least they kept up some semblance of professionalism as defined by their cronies. They talk about peppermint oil which you could probably buy in any drugstore. But peppermint oil is contained in peppermint tea as well. So why bother getting oil if you have tea already at home? Obviously, oil is stronger, but then it has to be diluted down which brings us back to tea.

Coming back to the two questions from the first paragraph, it seems that pharmaceutical interests on the American continent would prevent any publication diminishing their turn-over in drugs.

As to the syndrome syndrome: It is more a syndrome of the pharmaceutical might than a syndrome of illness. By calling every little ache a syndrome it has become much easier to sell highly priced dangerous drugs to people. As these drugs have side effects that are highly more dangerous than the little ache that was treated with it (and would have gone away with a cup of peppermint tea), a further multiple stream income line has opened for the drug peddlers. Neat.