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Bitter ribbon flower

The bitter ribbon flower is a plant whose leaves, stems, root and seeds are used to make medicine. The bitter bow flower is used for digestive problems such as heartburn, irritable bowel syndrome, gastritis and a bloated feeling. It is also used for gout, rheumatic muscle and joint pain, rapid heartbeat, asthma, bronchitis and water retention.

How does the bitter loop flower work?

Early research suggests that bitter loop flower may increase contractions in the small intestine, which helps move food through the digestive tract.

How effective is bitter loopflower?

Bitter ribbon flower may be effective for heartburn when a combination of bitter ribbon flower and several other medicinal plants is used. The combination product in question (Iberogast) contains peppermint leaves, bitter loopflower, angelica root, chamomile flowers, caraway, milk thistle, lemon balm leaves, celandine and licorice root. Taking this product reduces the amount of stomach acid in the throat, stomach pain, cramps, nausea and vomiting. There is not enough scientific data to be able to make a statement about the effectiveness of bitter loop flower for irritable bowel syndrome, gastritis, gout, rheumatic muscle and joint pain, a bloated feeling, rapid heartbeat, asthma and bronchitis. Further scientific research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of bitter orange blossom in these applications.

Safety and side effects

Bitter ribbon flower appears to be safe and harmless for most people when used for up to eight weeks. It may cause side effects including nausea, diarrhea and skin rash in some people.

Precautions and warnings

Pregnancy and lactation: Not enough is known about the use of bitter loop flower during pregnancy and lactation. For this reason, pregnant and breastfeeding women are advised to avoid products containing bitter bow-grass.

Interactions

At present, there is no information available on interactions between bitter bow-grass and medications or supplements.

Dosage

The following dosages have been investigated in scientific studies.

Oral: For heartburn: a specific combination product containing bitter loopflower and several other plant extracts (Iberogast) was used at a dosage of 1 ml three times daily for a period of four weeks.

References

  1. Fabre N, Urizzi P, Souchard JP, et al. An antioxidant sinapic acid ester isolated from Iberis amara. Fitoterapia 2000;71:425-8.
  2. Holtmann G, Madisch A, Juergen H, et al. A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial on the effects of an herbal preparation in patients with functional dyspepsia [Abstract]. Ann Mtg Digestive Disease Week 1999 May.
  3. Madisch A, Holtmann G, Mayr G, et al. Treatment of functional dyspepsia with a herbal preparation. A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial. Digestion 2004;69:45-52.
  4. Melzer J, Rosch W, Reichling J, et al. Meta-analysis: phytotherapy of functional dyspepsia with the herbal drug preparation STW 5 (Iberogast). Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2004;20:1279-87.
  5. Steimer P. Iberogast therapy in gastroenterology. Der Krankenhaus Arzt 1983;56:1005-8.
  6. Storr M, Sibaev A, Weiser D, et al. Herbal extracts modulate the amplitude and frequency of slow waves in circular smooth muscle of mouse small intestine. Digestion 2004;70:257-64.