Does peppermint oil help bloating?

Peppermint oil has reasonable evidence for IBS-related abdominal discomfort, but the specific evidence for bloating on its own is thinner. A meta-analysis of 10 randomised trials (1,030 people) found that enteric-coated peppermint oil beat placebo for overall IBS symptoms (about 1 in 4 people helped who wouldn't have been otherwise) and abdominal pain — though the authors rated the quality of evidence as very low and called for larger trials. Bloating is one of those IBS symptoms, and the EMA recognises peppermint oil for symptomatic relief of minor gastrointestinal spasms 2, with its antispasmodic action well-documented: menthol relaxes smooth muscle in the gut wall 2, which is exactly what drives bloating discomfort.

The catch: enteric coating is essential — uncoated capsules release in the stomach and can cause heartburn or worsen reflux. It's also not suitable for people with GERD, hiatus hernia, gallstones, or biliary obstruction.