Do candy canes cause indigestion or do they combat it?
In this case, you’ve heard correctly in both cases. The trigger for either (as far as candy canes are concerned) is peppermint. First, the good news. Peppermint and peppermint oil have been used for centuries as an herbal remedy for upset stomach. A 2007 study appears to back up such claims. For a study in the June 2007 issue of the Italian journal Digestive and Liver Disease, researchers tested peppermint oil’s effects on 57 people with irritable bowel syndrome. They were looking to see if peppermint oil capsules could relieve symptoms including gas, constipation, diarrhea, and abdominal bloating, pain and discomfort. An impressive 75 percent of the participants who took peppermint oil capsules experienced major reductions, compared with just 38 percent who took a placebo. The menthol in peppermint might be the reason for this effect. According to a Harvard Medical School Health Report, The Sensitive Gut, the menthol may block calcium channels, relaxing the “smooth” muscles in intesti
