Systematic Review of Herbal Interventions for Xerostomia (Dry Mouth): Clinical Outcomes and Recommendations

Abstract

A common and upsetting syndrome that affects people with systemic disorders, polypharmacy, radiation exposure, and age-related salivary gland degeneration is xerostomia, or the subjective experience of dry mouth. As natural, safe, and possibly successful substitutes for traditional xerostomia treatments, herbal therapies have drawn more and more attention. The data from fifteen clinical studies and systematic reviews assessing herbal interventions—such as aloe vera, ginger, peppermint, tea catechins, manuka honey, Chinese herbal medicine, traditional Asian formulations, and combination plant therapies—is synthesized in this systematic review. According to the research, the majority of herbal treatments show clinically significant reductions in xerostomia symptoms, particularly in subjective dryness ratings. Objective salivary flow results, however, continue to differ between experiments. The strength of the available data is hampered by methodological flaws, formulation variation, small sample sizes, and a lack of long-term follow-up. Nevertheless, a number of therapies exhibit encouraging therapeutic potential, especially Asian herbal medications, tea catechin formulations, manuka honey washes, and preparations based on aloe vera. Large multicenter randomized trials, mechanistic evaluation, and standardized dose should be the main focus of future research. In general, when applied within evidence-based frameworks, herbal therapies may be helpful supplementary therapy for xerostomia.