Effect of rose oil on gastroesophageal reflux disease compared to the drug omeprazole: a double-blind controlled study

One of the most recent scientific studies on the healing properties of damask rose is titled “Effect of rose oil on Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease in comparison with omeprazole: A double-blind controlled trial” and was published in 2021 in the journal Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice. In it, Iranian scientists studied the effect of rose oil compared to the standard drug omeprazole in patients suffering from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) – a disease known to many people as chronic acid reflux.

GERD is a condition in which the contents of the stomach often flow back up into the esophagus, causing a burning sensation behind the breastbone (heartburn), acid regurgitation, chest pain, and even difficulty or pain in swallowing. It is usually treated with medications such as omeprazole, which reduce the production of stomach acid.

In this study, 70 patients were divided into two groups – one receiving omeprazole and the other taking rose oil capsules. Both groups were double-blinded, meaning that neither the patients nor the doctors knew who was receiving what, to avoid subjective influences on the results. Symptoms were monitored for 20 days using a standardized questionnaire.

The results showed that both therapies led to significant relief of the main symptoms of reflux. Patients who took rose oil reported a significant reduction in heartburn, regurgitation and chest pain, similar to the effect observed in those taking omeprazole. The statistical difference between the two groups was not significant, meaning that rose oil performed non-inferiorly to the drug.

This study is particularly interesting because it shows for the first time in controlled conditions that Rosa damascena can be considered a possible natural alternative or complement to traditional reflux treatment. The authors suggest that this effect may be due to both the active ingredients of rose oil and the sesame oil used, which preserves the bioactive substances during preparation.

Of course, it is important to emphasize that the study was of limited scale and short duration. Therefore, scientists recommend that larger and longer-term clinical studies be conducted to fully confirm the safety and effectiveness of rose oil. However, the results open the door to new natural approaches in the therapy of gastroesophageal reflux and show that rose damascena is not just an aromatic symbol, but may have real medicinal value in various directions for human health.

Source: Effect of rose oil on Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease in comparison with omeprazole: A double-blind controlled trial, Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 2021.