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Migraine is associated with inflammation and oxidative imbalance. This randomized controlled trial examined the effects of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and L-carnitine co-supplementation on inflammatory status and oxidative stress in 80 women with migraine. Serum markers were measured before and after the intervention. Compared to placebo, ALA and L-carnitine co-supplementation significantly reduced nitric oxide (−6.10; 95 % CI (−9.08, −3.12) vs. 1.77; 95 % CI (−3.21, 6.76) nmol/mL, P = 0.038), malondialdehyde (−5.47; 95 % CI (−6.33, −4.62) vs. −0.15; 95 % CI (−0.50, −0.20) nmol/mL, P = 0.011), and C-reactive protein (−0.44; 95 % CI (−0.47, −0.41) vs. −0.02; 95 % CI (−0.05, 0.007) mg/L, P = 0.007) levels. It also increased total antioxidant capacity (185.60; 95 % CI (159.69, 211.50) vs. 5.22; 95 % CI (−29.21, 39.66) nmol/mL, P = 0.045) and superoxide dismutase activity (301.42; 95 % CI (230.63, 372.21) vs. 15.20; 95 % CI (−8.15, 38.55) U/mL, P = 0.009), suggesting potential benefits for migraine management.

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of 12 weeks inulin supplementation (10 g/d) on clinical indices and biomarkers of inflammation, gut permeability, and oxidative stress in eighty women with migraine. Before and after the trial, we assessed the migraine index (MI), migraine headache index score (MHIS), headache diary results (HDR), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), zonulin, nitric oxide (NO), and oxidative stress factors. Inulin supplementation improved total antioxidant capacity (284.07 vs. 26.92, P=0.046), and reduced hs-CRP (−0.69 vs. 0.14), NO (−5.65 vs. 2.57) and oxidative stress index levels (−0.21 vs. 0.05) compared to placebo. Moreover, inulin supplementation resulted in a significant decrease in the score of MHIS, MI, and HDR (all P-values

Introduction: Numerous clinical trials have investigated the effects of fenugreek, a traditional herbal medicine, on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, the results from these studies have been inconsistent. Therefore, we aimed to perform a meta-analysis on the effects of fenugreek supplementation on weight, body mass index (BMI), lipid profile, and glycemic indices in patients with T2DM. Methods: We searched PubMed, Scopus, Embase, ISI Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases to identify clinical trial studies until October 2023. The data were analyzed using a random-effects model and presented as the weighted mean difference (WMD) along with the associated 95 % confidence interval (CI). Results: A total of 19 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The results indicated a significant impact of fenugreek supplementation on lowering fasting plasma glucose (FPG) (WMD: 20.32 mg/dl; 95 % CI: 26.65 to −13.99), hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) (WMD: 0.54 %; 95 % CI: 0.80 to −0.28), homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (WMD: 0.36; 95 % CI: 0.67 to −0.05), total cholesterol (TC) (WMD: 33.10 mg/dL; 95 % CI: 64.31 to −1.88), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (WMD: 29.14 mg/dL; 95 % CI: 55.45 to −2.83), BMI (WMD: 0.73 kg/m2; 95 % CI: 1.40 to −0.07), and increasing the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (WMD: 5.68 mg/dL; 95 % CI: 3.51 to 7.85). However, the effect on fasting insulin, triglycerides, and weight was not significant. Conclusions: Fenugreek supplementation has been shown to improve FPG, HbA1C, HOMA-IR, TC, LDL-C, HDL-C, and BMI in patients with T2DM. The overall results suggest that fenugreek may have protective and therapeutic effects on T2DM parameters.

Objective: The observed impacts of Garcinia cambogia (GC) on serum leptin indicate inconsistency. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the effectiveness of GC on leptin levels. Methods: A thorough literature search was carried out using different online databases, including Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar, until May 25, 2024. Using random effects, weighted mean differences (WMDs) and corresponding 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were computed. Standard procedures were followed to account for publication bias, study quality, and statistical heterogeneity. Results: In this meta-analysis, a total of eight eligible trials with 330 participants were ultimately included. Quality assessment showed that half of the included trials were considered to have fair quality, while the other half were deemed to have poor quality. Our analysis, with no indication of publication bias, showed a significantly decreased effect of GC on leptin compared with the placebo (WMD: −5.01 ng/ml; 95 % CI: −9.22 to −0.80, p = 0.02). However, significant heterogeneity was detected between studies (I2 =93.5 %, p

Objectives: The effects of jujube (Ziziphus jujube) consumption on metabolic and mental health outcomes in subjects diagnosed with metabolic syndrome (MetS) is unknown and remains to be examined. Hence, we carried out a parallel-group, randomized controlled trial to investigate this issue. Methods: Eligible participants were randomly assigned to the intervention (n = 30) or the control (n = 30) groups to receive either jujube or a placebo for eight weeks. Subjects were provided with 30 g dried jujube powder or placebo and were asked to consume half of the powder at 10 a.m. and the rest at 4 p.m. Lipid profile, fasting blood glucose (FBG), waist circumference (WC), and blood pressure were evaluated as primary outcomes. Secondary outcomes collected were mental health measures (e.g., depression, anxiety, and stress). Results: Jujube consumption failed to decrease FBG, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and blood pressure, as well as depression and anxiety scores (P > 0.05). However, the between-group comparison revealed a significant improvement in WC (− 3.98 vs. − 0.51, P = 0.01), triglyceride (TG) (− 24.96 vs. − 0.73, P = 0.03), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (2.83 vs. 0.40, P = 0.01) in the jujube group compared to the placebo. In addition, compared to the control group, jujube consumption led to a significant improvement in the score of stress (− 5.80 vs. − 2.86, P = 0.01). Conclusion: Jujube consumption only had beneficial effects on WC, TG, and HDL-C in subjects with MetS. However, the current study has methodological weaknesses in blinding and herb purity/potency testing, which should be addressed in future studies.

This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) sought to evaluate the effects of quercetin on the components of (MetS) such as waist circumference (WC), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), fasting blood glucose (FBG), triglyceride (TG), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). A systematic literature search up to December 2023 was completed in Scopus, PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science, to identify eligible RCTs. Altogether, 20 studies with a total sample size of 1,164 subjects were included in the analysis. A pooled analysis showed that quercetin consumption led to a significant reduction in FBG (WMD: −1.03 mg/dL; 95 % CI: −1.87 to −0.19), and SBP (WMD: −1.96 mmHg; 95 % CI: −3.11 to −0.81). However, there were no significant effects on TG, HDL-C, WC, and DBP. It was found that quercetin intake can decrease FBG and SBP significantly without significant effects on other components of MetS.

Objective: Policosanol is a mixture of long chain alcohols refined from sugar cane. Significant reductions in liver enzymes have been observed in some studies. However, the impact of policosanol on liver enzymes remained controversial. The current meta-analysis aims to evaluate the effect of policosanol supplementation on the levels of alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST). Methods: The literature was systematically searched for studies published up to November 2023 in PubMed/Medline, Google Scholar, EMBASE, and Scopus. Randomized controlled trial (RCT) studies were included to evaluate the intervention effect of policosanol compared to placebo on ALT and AST. DerSimonian and Laird models were used to calculate effect sizes. Results: Twenty-three trials including 2535 participants were included in the study. The combination of effect sizes, regarding the random-effects model, demonstrated significant changes in ALT serum levels after intervention (WMD: −1.48 U/L; 95% CI: −2.33 to −0.64; P = 0.001), and AST (WMD: −1.10 U/L; 95% CI: −1.70 to −0.51; P

Introduction and Aim: Research on the effects of propolis consumption on body composition, and blood pressure (BP) has produced inconsistent results. This systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis was carried out to compile the data from the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on how propolis supplementation affects body composition, and BP level in adults. Materials and Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted using electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane library, up to January 2024. The RCTs, evaluating the effects of propolis consumption on weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), waist-hip ratio (WHR), fat mass (FM), systolic BP (SBP), and diastolic BP (DBP), were included in the study. We used the random-effects model to establish the pooled effect size. Results: A total of 22 RCTs involving 1082 participants were included in the study. Propolis supplementation demonstrated significant reductions in weight (weighted mean difference [WMD]: –0.37 kg; 95% confidence interval [CI]: –0.63 to –0.12), and BMI (WMD: –0.11 kg/m2; 95% CI: –0.13 to –0.09). However, there were no significant effects on WC, WHR, FM, HC, SBP, and DBP levels. The dose-response analysis revealed a significant nonlinear relationship between propolis dosage and WC (P = 0.020). Moreover, the BMI (P = 0.047) and WC (P = 0.004) reduction trend continues until 8 weeks of intervention and then this impact plateaued. Conclusions: Supplementation with propolis seems to be effective in reducing weight and BMI. However, it should be noted that the anti-obesity properties of propolis supplementation were small and may not reach clinical importance. Therefore, future well-designed studies with a large sample size are needed to investigate the effect of propolis on body composition and BP in adults.

Due to an increase in the number of older people in recent years, neurodegenerative diseases as the most important age-related neurological disorders are considered as a great threat to human health. The treatment strategies for these disorders are symptomatic and there is no known definitive treatment; however, recently, several studies have investigated the effectiveness of some herbs and their components in limiting the progression and treatment of neurodegenerative disorders. In this study, we searched Medline (via PubMed), Scopus, Science Direct, and Google Scholar databases. The keywords used in the search were: saffron [title/abstract] or (saffron compound [title/abstract]) and (neurological disorders [title/abstract]), publication date range (2010–2023), and language (English). After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 30 articles remained. Of the 30 articles included in the study, six studies on the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders by saffron and its components were in the clinical trial phase, and 24 studies were in the preclinical phase. Saffron and its compounds can play an important role in inhibiting neuroinflammation and excitotoxic pathways, modulating autophagy and apoptosis, attenuating oxidative damage, and activating defensive antioxidant enzymes, resulting in neuroprotection against neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, this study aimed to review the studies on the effects of saffron and its compounds on the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Long-chain n–3 poly unsaturated fatty acids have anti-inflammatory effects but their effects on serum levels of adhesion molecules are inconsistent and contradictory. In this updated systematic review and meta-analysis, marine sources of omega-3 fatty acids were pooled up to determine the effects of omega-3 supplementation on adhesion molecules. PubMed-Medline, SCOPUS, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases (from inception to April 2023) were searched and all RCTs investigating the effects of marine sources of omega-3, on blood concentrations of adhesion molecules were included and a meta-analysis undertaken. Forty-two RCTs were included involving 3555 participants aged from 18 to 75 years. Meta-analysis of 38 arms from 30 RCTs reporting serum concentrations of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) showed a significant reduction after omega-3 supplementation (WMD: −1.26, 95% CI: −1.88 to −0.64 ng/mL, P

Migraine, a neurovascular condition, is a chronic and lifelong disease that affects about 15% of the population worldwide. Although the exact pathophysiology and etiology of migraine are still unclear, oxidative stress, inflammation, and neuroendocrine imbalances are identified as the critical risk factors for migraine attacks. Curcumin is an active component and a polyphenolic diketone compound extracted from turmeric. Curcumin is a promising candidate for preventing and controlling migraine due to its anti‑inflammatory, antioxidative, anti-protein aggregate, and analgesic effects. In the present review, we have evaluated experimental and clinical studies investigating the impact of liposomal curcumin and nano-curcumin on the frequency and severity of migraine attacks in patients. Although the results are promising, more studies should be conducted in this area to show the exact efficacies of curcumin on clinical symptoms of migraine and investigate its potential mechanisms.

This study was done to systematically summarize the available studies that examined the effects of N. sativa supplementation on anthropometric indices among adults. We searched Web of Science, EMBASE, PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases until December 2022 to identify relevant studies. All controlled clinical trials that examined the effect of N. sativa supplementation on anthropometric indices were included. Eventually, 32 studies which reported data of interest were entered for data analysis. We found a significant reduction in body weight (WMD: −1.17 Kg, 95% CI: −2.06, −0.28), body mass index (WMD: −0.41 kg/m2, 95% CI: −0.66, −0.16), waist circumference (WMD: −1.12 cm, 95% CI: −1.47, −0.51), and hip circumference (WMD = -1.61 cm, 95% CI: −3.06, −0.17) following supplementation with N. sativa. The results of this study suggest that there was an improvement in anthropometric indices after the use of N. sativa, whereas no changes were observed in waist-to-hip ratio.

Oxidative stress may play an important role in migraine pathogenesis. This randomized controlled trial aimed to investigate the effect of 12 weeks synbiotic supplementation on the oxidative stress and clinical symptoms of migraine in eighty women. The effect of the intervention on the total antioxidant capacity (TAC), nitric oxide (NO), oxidative stress index (OSI), total oxidant status (TOS), migraine index (MI), headache diary result (HDR) and migraine headache index score (MHIS) were investigated using bivariate comparison. Synbiotic supplementation improved TAC (381.77 vs 43.17 nmol/ml, P = 0.034), and reduced NO (-4.62 vs 0.55 nmol/ml, P = 0.021), OSI levels (-0.33 vs 0.0009, P = 0.027), and MI (-8.27 vs −3.20, P = 0.013) compared to placebo. A positive correlation between the severity of migraine headache and NO level was observed following synbiotic supplementation (r = 0.44, P = 0.002). Synbiotics may reduce oxidative stress and improve migraine symptoms in women and help as a supplemental therapy in managing migraine headaches.

Objective: We identified and quantified the results of randomized clinical trials by examining the effect of barberry supplementation on blood pressure. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search in the medical bibliographic database up to May 2020 on randomized clinical trials investigating the effect of barberry supplementation on adult blood pressure. Intensive literature searches and data extraction according to a prefixed scheme was performed independently by two investigators. Results: Through 5 randomized clinical trial studies, 350 subjects with 175 cases for the intervention group and 175 cases for control group were included in our study. The intervention period ranged from 4 to 12 weeks. In general, barberry supplementation did not have a significant effect on systolic blood pressure (WMD: -4.15 mmHg; 95 % CI: -10.3, 1.99, P = 0.185) and diastolic blood pressure (WMD: -1.22 mmHg; 95 % CI: -6.26, 3.82, P = 0.635). Our study was heterogeneous and subgroup analysis did not eliminate heterogeneity. Conclusion: Totally, based on this study, we cannot conclude that barberry supplementation has beneficial effects on blood pressure. Also, all included studies had limitations such as different in geographical situations, Dietary of participants, health conditions, and pharmacological forms of berberis. Therefore, further study in this area is recommended.

In this study, a new acid-induced cold-set gel based on pinto bean protein isolate (PBI) was developed, and then its textural, morphological, rheological, and physical properties were evaluated. Textural and rheological properties of the gels improved when protein and glucono-delta-lactone (GDL) concentrations were increased. Acid-induced gels showed a disordered structure of aggregates. The water holding capacity (WHC) of the gels increased significantly (p