Author/Authors :
Pasalar, Mehdi Research Center for Traditional Medicine and History of Medicine - Shiraz University of Medical Sciences , Daneshfard, Babak Traditional Medicine Clinical Trial Research Center - Shahed University , Bagheri Lankarani, Kamran Health Policy Research Center - Shiraz University of Medical Sciences
Abstract :
With lots of interest, we read the paper by Ebrahimzadeh
Attari et al.1
In this valuable investigation, the beneficial
effects of ginger in eradication of Helicobacter pylori and
improvement of functional dyspepsia symptoms have
been revealed.
Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a common annoying
disorder without any approved medication for its
treatment; although, some “off-label” treatments including
antidepressants are commonly used.2
The mind-gut relation and possible beneficial effect
of antidepressants in FD has been the subject of several
studies. However, these drugs are not completely safe
and may induce significant side effects especially in the
older patients.3
Since a long time ago, old comprehensive
medical schools including Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese
Medicine, and Persian Medicine (PM) have acknowledged
this mind-gut relation through their holistic viewpoints
toward health and human well-being. For instance,
Avicenna (980–1037 AD) who is a well-known Persian
sage of Islamic Golden Age,4
has mentioned the
importance of psychiatric components in the emergence
of FD symptoms in the “Canon of Medicine”. In this regard,
the proposed management of dyspepsia in PM, similar
to other holistic medical schools, is not only toward the
gastrointestinal tract, but also consider the interventions
targeting the mind and psychological affairs.5,6
