Herbal Medicines boast of helping G.I. problems better than drugs

After analyzing data on Japanese herbal therapies, researchers at Keio University School of Medicine, claim to have found solution for gastrointestinal (GI) motility disorders that include not just common constipation but functional dyspepsia and postoperative ileus as well.

A physiologic response after abdominal surgery, the postoperative ileus is supposed to be caused due to the release of inhibitory neurotransmitters in the gut; it brings about oedema, inflammation and trouble in having a bowel movement. Functional dyspepsia is also expected to bring about a lot of symptoms—comprising abdominal pain, vomiting, belching, nausea heartburn and bloating – though there is no specific cause to be identified.

The lead researcher Hidekazu Suzuki, Associate Professor at the Keio University School of Medicine, in a statement to the media, said, "Japanese herbal medicines have been used in East Asia for thousands of years. Our review of the world medical literature reveals that herbal medicines serve a valuable role in the management of patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders."