This study suggests that soy supplementation could be recommended as an alternative therapy to hormone replacement therapy for control of postmenopausal symptoms.
Background
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common causes of liver transaminases elevation and a global health concern.
Purpose
This study designed to evaluate the effects of turmeric rhizomes (Curcumalonga Linn.) on liver enzymes, Lipid profiles and Malondialdehyde (MDA) in patients with NAFLD.
Study design
Randomized double-blind placebo controlled trial.
Methods
64 cases of NAFLD randomly assigned to receive either turmeric (2 gr/day) or placebo for 8 weeks. The changes of liver transaminases, lipid profiles and MDA were measured before and after study period and compared between two groups (IRCT 2015092924262N1).
Results
At the end of the study, the Turmeric group showed a significant reduction in liver enzymes (AST before 26.81 ± 10.54 after 21.19 ± 5.67, P = 0.044, ALT before 39.56 ± 22.41, after 30.51 ± 12.61, P = 0.043 and GGT before33.81 ± 17.50, after 25.62 ± 9.88, P = 0.046) compared with the placebo group. The serum levels of triglycerides, LDL, HDL and MDA had also a significant decrease among turmeric group as compared to baseline while there was no significant change in placebo group (P < 0.05). The serum cholesterol, VLDL level and sonographic grades of NAFLD had not any significant change in both groups.
Conclusion
In conclusion this study suggests that daily consumption of turmeric (and its active phenolic ingredients as curcumin) supplementation could be effective in management of NAFLD and decreasing serum level of liver transaminases.
BackgroundMultiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex inflammatory disease in which demyelination occurs in the central nervous system affecting approximately 2.5 million people worldwide. Intestinal microbiome changes play an important role in the etiology of chronic diseases.ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the effect of probiotic supplementation on systemic inflammation in patients with MS.MethodsA 12-week double-blind clinical trial study was designed and seventy patients with MS were randomly divided into two groups receiving probiotics and placebo. Patients in the intervention group received two capsules containing multi-strain probiotics daily and patients in the control group received the same amount of placebo. Factors associated with systemic inflammation were assessed at the beginning and end of the study.ResultsSixty-five patients were included in the final analysis. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of baseline variables except for the duration of the disease (P > 0.05). At the end of the study, probiotic supplementation compared to the placebo caused a significant reduction in the serum levels of CRP (−0.93 ± 1.62 vs. 0.05 ± 1.74, P = 0.03), TNF-α (−2.09 ± 1.88 vs. 0.48 ± 2.53, P = 0.015) and IFN-γ (−13.18 ± 7.33 vs. −1.93 ± 5.99, P < 0.001). Also, we found a significant increase in the FOXP3 and TGF-β levels in the intervention group (P < 0.05).ConclusionThe results of our study showed that supplementation with probiotics can have beneficial effects on serum levels of some factors associated with systemic inflammation.Clinical trial registration[http://www.irct.ir], identifier [IRCT20181210041 918N1].
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.