Gastrointestinal tract bacterial overgrowth

Other associated comorbidities, which predispose to Salmonellosis are sickle cell anemia, pernicious anemia due to achlorhydria, postoperative stomach due to hypochlorydria, reduced motility of gastrointestinal tract due to a variety of conditions, promoting reduced stasis of intestinal contents and bacterial overgrowth. 

In patients whose maldigestion is difficult to control, other underlying conditions should be considered, such as noncompliance, infections of the gastrointestinal tract, celiac disease, lactose deficiency, inflammatory bowel disease, anatomical abnormalities, diabetes, and liver cirrhosis. This question is complicated by the abundance of small intestinal viscous glycoproteins in cystic fibrosis, prolonged intestinal transit times, which may provoke bacterial overgrowth [104], and absorption of the enzymes in their macromolecular form [105]. 

The essential oil ofM. piperita has been used for many years as a natural carminative of the gastrointestinal tract. This effect is principally due to the antispasmodic activity of menthol, which acts as a calcium channel antagonist of the intestinal smooth muscle (Taylor et al., 1984,1985). Secondary effects include a reduction of gastrointestinal foam by peppermint oil (Harries et al., 1978) and a choleretic activity that is attributed to menthol (Rangelov et al., 1988). The reduction of intestinal hydrogen production caused by bacterial overgrowth has also been demonstrated in patients by enteric-coated peppermint oil (Logan and Beaulne, 2002). 

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