Effect of an herbal capsule on chronic constipation among menopausal women: A randomized controlled clinical trial

Abstract

Objective: Chronic constipation is frequently observed in postmenopausal women. An herbal combination including clover plants, Roman anis or Anisone, green anis or fennel, green raisins, Alhagi maurorum, violets, Terminalia chebula, senna and golqand has been introduced in traditional books as an effective laxative. Thus, the present study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the combined herbal capsule on chronic constipation in postmenopausal women. Materials and Methods: This triple blinded, randomized placebo-controlled trial was conducted on 64 postmenopausal women. Individuals were randomly assigned to combined the herbal capsule and placebo groups. The herbal capsule included cloves (4 units), Anise and Anison (6 units each), violet flowers (12 units), Terminalia Chebula and fresh green raisins (25 units each), senna leaves, Alhagi maurorum, and Golqand (50 units each). Constipation questionnaire and the individual’s assessment of constipation symptoms scale were used for data collection. Results: The mean frequency of bowel movements in the herbal capsule group was significantly higher than the placebo group (mean difference=4.2; 95% confidence interval: 0.3 to 4.5; p Conclusion: Consumption of herbal capsules improved chronic constipation in postmenopausal women.

Keywords

• Herbal capsule
• Chronic constipation
• Menopause