Effects of “ Satureja hortensis L. ” on Improving Adult Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: A Double-Blinded, Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial

Gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) is one of the most widespread gastrointestinal disorders. In addition, there is increasing evidence that not all patients respond to its current remedies. Objectives: The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the effect of “Satureja hortensis L.” on improving the symptoms of mild to moderate GERD in adults. Methods: In this double-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial, we evaluated the efficacy of “Satureja hortensis L.” compared to placebo on the symptoms of GERD in fifty-eight adults with GERD who referred to Hazrat Rasool-e-Akram hospital in Tehran, Iran, in 2015. In order to assess GERD symptoms, a standardized questionnaire of frequency scale (FSSG) was used before and after the intervention. Results: Regarding within-group changes, a significant decrease was observed in FSSG, dysmotility-like symptoms and acid reflux related scores in both groups of the study after the intervention compared to baseline (P < 0.001). Regarding between-group analysis, no significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of FSSG total scores (0.05 < P). Conclusions: According to the results of the current study, Satureja hortensis L. with the dose of 500mgthree times per day failed to improve the symptoms of GERD in adults compared to placebo. The significant reductions in the GERD scores in both groups seem to be related to the lifestyle modification that was prescribed to both groups.