Iberogast, also known as STW5, is a liquid formulation of nine

herb Herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal purposes, or for fragrances. Culinary use typically distingu ...

s used for

functional dyspepsia Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a common gastrointestinal disorder defined by symptoms arising from the gastroduodenal region in the absence of an underlying organic disease that could easily explain the symptoms. Characteristic symptoms include ep ...

and

irritable bowel syndrome Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal disorder characterized by a group of symptoms that commonly include abdominal pain, abdominal bloating, and changes in the consistency of bowel movements. These symptoms may ...

. A proprietary blend, it was developed in Germany in 1961 and is available (without prescription) in other countries. Named after the genus (

Iberis ''Iberis'' ( ), commonly called candytuft, is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Brassicaceae. It comprises annuals, evergreen perennials and subshrubs native to the Old World. The name "candytuft" is not related to candy, but ...

) of one of its ingredients, it is also claimed to possess

anti-inflammatory Anti-inflammatory is the property of a substance or treatment that reduces inflammation, fever or swelling. Anti-inflammatory drugs, also called anti-inflammatories, make up about half of analgesics. These drugs reduce pain by inhibiting mechan ...

antioxidative Antioxidants are compounds that inhibit oxidation, a chemical reaction that can produce free radicals. Autoxidation leads to degradation of organic compounds, including living matter. Antioxidants are frequently added to industrial products, s ...

and

free radical A daughter category of ''Ageing'', this category deals only with the biological aspects of ageing. Ageing Biogerontology Biological processes Causes of death Cellular processes Gerontology Life extension Metabolic disorders Metabolism ...

–inhibiting properties as well as the ability to reduce

gastric acid Gastric acid or stomach acid is the acidic component – hydrochloric acid – of gastric juice, produced by parietal cells in the gastric glands of the stomach lining. In humans, the pH is between one and three, much lower than most other a ...

secretion. Iberogast is a mixture of extracts from bitter candytuft (''

Iberis amara ''Iberis amara'', called wild candytuft, rocket candytuft and bitter candytuft, is a species of flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae Brassicaceae () or (the older but equally valid) Cruciferae () is a medium-sized and economically import ...

''), angelica root ('' Angelicae radix''), milk thistle fruit ('' Silybi mariani fructus''), celandine herb (''

Chelidonium majus ''Chelidonium majus'', the greater celandine, is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant in the poppy family Papaveraceae. One of two species in the genus '' Chelidonium'', it is native to Europe and western Asia and introduced widely in North Am ...

''), caraway fruit ('' Carvi fructus''), liquorice root ('' Liquiritiae radix''), peppermint herb ('' Menthae piperitae folium''), balm leaf ('' Melissae folium''), and chamomile flower ('' Matricariae flos'').

Medical uses

A 2004

meta-analysis Meta-analysis is a method of synthesis of quantitative data from multiple independent studies addressing a common research question. An important part of this method involves computing a combined effect size across all of the studies. As such, th ...

comprising three randomized placebo-controlled studies with a total of 173 patients suggested that iberogast was more effective than placebo in relieving "the most bothersome gastrointestinal symptom" of

as identified by each patient. Additionally, a single reference-controlled study was discussed, comparing iberogast to the prokinetic cisapride in the treatment of "'functional dyspepsia of the dysmotility type'" and finding no significant differences in efficacy or tolerability. This paper noted that, while iberogast seems to consistently provide symptomatic relief to patients, its efficacy is more evident "with associated symptoms of gastro-oesophageal reflux or predominance of epigastric pain." It suggests a synergy of therapeutic mechanisms provided by the complex interactions between the GI tract and each individual component of iberogast. It also supports a promising safety profile for the formulation, but notes that its results must be confirmed in larger studies in order to provide any recommendations regarding the efficacy or safety of iberogast in the treatment of functional dyspepsia.

Safety

In Germany, Iberogast has come under investigation after one patient died of liver failure. In 2018, the company producing Iberogast (

Bayer Bayer AG (English: , commonly pronounced ; ) is a German multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company and is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies and biomedical companies in the world. Headquartered in Leverkusen, Bayer' ...

) has been forced by authorities to print warnings about rare cases of liver toxicity. A former employee of Bayer was under criminal investigation related to Bayer's long resistance to declare the dangers of Iberogast.

References

External links

* {{MeshName, Iberogast ^ Drugs acting on the gastrointestinal system and metabolism Drugs developed by Bayer