Effects of garlic supplementation on serum inflammatory markers: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Previous studies have indicated that garlic consumption may be beneficial in improving inflammation. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to examine the effect of garlic supplementation on inflammatory biomarkers. METHODS: PubMed/Medline, Scopus and ISI web of science were searched up to February 2019. Random effects model was used to calculate the overall effects on C-reactive protein (CRP), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), and Tumor necrosis factor- α (TNF-α). RESULTS: 17 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included in the meta-analyses. Garlic supplementation significantly reduced the level of circulating CRP (P < 0.05), whereas it did not have any significant effect on IL-6 level (p > 0.05). Sub-group analysis showed that aged garlic extract (AGE) was able to reduce CRP and TNF-α significantly (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis showed that supplementation with garlic could reduce the level of circulating CRP and AGE could reduce the level of TNF-α and CRP, whereas it had no significant effect on the IL-6 level.

Effects of garlic supplementation on liver enzymes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Current evidence on the beneficial effects of garlic on liver enzymes is contradictory. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to evaluate the effect of garlic supplementation on human liver enzymes, such as Alanine Transaminase (ALT/SGPT) and Aspartate Transaminase (AST/SGOT). To collect the required data, PubMed, Scopus, ISI Web of Science, and Google scholar databases were systematically searched from inception to June 2019. A meta-analysis was conducted using the random-effects model to evaluate the effects of garlic supplementation on ALT and AST levels. The Cochran's Q-test and inconsistency index were also used to evaluate heterogeneity among the studies. Among a total of 15,514 identified articles, six studies (containing 301 participants) met the inclusion criteria. Results of the meta-analysis showed that garlic supplementation significantly decreased AST level (Hedges' g = -0.36, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.72, -0.004, p = .047); whereas, it had no significant effect on ALT level (Hedges' g = -0.22, 95% CI: -0.64, 0.20, p = .310). Results showed that garlic supplementation reduced AST levels significantly; however, had no significant effect on ALT levels. Further studies are still needed to confirm the results.

The effect of intramuscular megadose of vitamin D injections on E-selectin, CRP and biochemical parameters in vitamin D-deficient patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Inflammatory processes has been shown to be associated with the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in which vitamin D supplementation might exert beneficial outcomes. We examined the effects of vitamin D supplement on inflammatory and cell adhesion molecule in patients with T2DM. METHODS: This study consisted of 50 patients with T2DM who had vitamin D deficiency. Participants were randomized into two groups of 25 in which the intervention group received two intramuscular injections of a 200000-IU vitamin D supplement, one at week 0 and another at week 4. The concentrations of fasting blood glucose (FBG), lipid profiles, liver enzymes, E-selectin, C-reactive protein (CRP), calcium, phosphorus, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and anthropometric indices were obtained before and after 8 weeks. RESULTS: Vitamin D resulted in significant reductions in CRP(P = 0.01) and gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) levels(P = 0.03) and significant increases in 25(OH)D concentrations(P = 0.01) in the intervention group compared with the control. Within-group comparisons showed that FBG decreased significantly in the intervention group(P = 0.04). No significant changes were observed regarding within- and between-group comparisons of the other markers. CONCLUSION: Vitamin D had beneficial effects on the levels of CRP, serum 25(OH)D and GGT among vitamin D deficient patients with T2DM. (http://www.irct.ir: IRCT2017100336539N1).