Frequency of using complementary herbal medicines among Helicobacter pylori-infected patients in the North of Iran

Helicobacter pylori is a prevalent infection and one of the most critical factors that result in gastric cancer. Besides antibiotic therapy, some plants are suitable as an alternative treatment against H. pylori infection due to their role in protecting the gastric mucosa. This study investigated the frequency of using complementary herbal medicines among H. pylori-infected patients in the North of Iran. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 390 patients with H. pylori infection undergoing treatment in Rasht, Iran, 2022. The demographic data, clinical characteristics, and consumption of complementary herbals were recorded. The mean age of the patients was 40 years, and 63.6% were female. The majority of the patients were educated. About 55.9% of patients consumed at least one herbal product, and the most consumed herbal product was mint extract. Most patients purchased herbal products from the grocery (93.1%); none referred to the pharmacy. About 89.2% of the patients recovered completely, and 10.8% had a disease recurrence. No particular complications were observed in most patients (97.7%). However, no significant association between the consumption of herbal products and patients' recovery was reported (P0.05). According to our results, consuming herbal products results in no specific improvement in patients with H. pylori infection