Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity (Jul 2020)
Therapeutic Effects of Garlic on Hepatic Steatosis in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Abstract
Davood Soleimani,1 Zamzam Paknahad,2 Mohammad Hossein Rouhani3 1Nutritional Sciences Department, School of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran; 2Department of Clinical Nutrition, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran; 3Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, IranCorrespondence: Zamzam Paknahad Tel +98 3137923166Fax +98 3136681378Email [email protected] and Aims: Emerging evidence suggests that garlic (Allium sativum L.) and its bioactive components can mitigate hepatic steatosis by the modulation of hepatic lipid metabolism. We aimed to assess the efficacy of the garlic administration on hepatic steatosis in patients with NAFLD.Patients and Methods: This clinical trial was conducted on adult patients with ultrasound-diagnosed NAFLD. Eligible participants were randomly assigned, with the use of the stratified blocked procedure, to receive 800 mg garlic or placebo for 15 weeks. The primary outcome was the improvement in the hepatic steatosis diagnosed by ultrasound technique after 15 weeks of intervention.Results: A total of 110 patients underwent randomization, and 98 patients completed the trial. Twenty-four (51.1%) patients in the garlic group achieved improvement in the hepatic steatosis compared to eight (15.7%) patients in the placebo group with the relative risk of 5.6 (95% CI: 2.17 to 14.5; P=0.001), which remained significant after adjusting for baseline value of hepatic steatosis. There were significant reductions in weight and serum ALT, AST, FBS, Hb A1C, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and TG concentration with the garlic intake compared to placebo (P< 0.05). The results were also significant after adjusting for weight change, energy intake, and physical activity. No serious adverse effects were observed with the garlic intake.Conclusion: The intake of garlic powder was accompanied by a significant improvement in the hepatic steatosis and comorbidity related to this condition among subjects with NAFLD.Keywords: Allium sativum, garlic, hepatic steatosis, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
