Herbal Drugs Used in Gastrointestinal Disorders

The empirical practice of using particular food types to ease stomach discomfort has long demonstrated the impact of diet on gut health, and more recently, a link has been found between particular diets and decreased rates of a number of gastrointestinal disorders. Some of the herbal medicines, derived from traditional medical systems such as Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Western herbalism, offer a promising alternative due to their multi-targeted therapeutic actions and favourable safety profiles. In order to provide evidence-based recommendations for the consumption of these products, we have reviewed recent research on these food-derived ingredients and their suggested preventive and therapeutic roles in gastrointestinal disorders.