The effect of chickpea broth on knee osteoarthritis—A Pilot non-randomised open-labeled clinical study

Objectives Osteoarthritis is a prevalent condition with a high level of disease burden. Some dietary regimens used in traditional medicine systems show promise as a treatment for osteoarthritis. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of a Persian food on the symptoms of osteoarthritis. Design A pilot non-randomised open-labeled clinical study Methods Patients with a diagnosis of osteoarthritis received 500 g chickpea broth (Nokhodāb) daily for the first five days, followed by the same amount per week for the next three weeks. The knee injury and osteoarthritis outcome score questionnaire and short-form World Health Organisation quality of life questionnaire were administered at baseline, day five and day thirty. The safety profile of the intervention was also assessed. Results Consumption of Nokhodāb was associated with improvements in pain, with a statistically significant decline in pain scores detected after 30 days (p = 0.005). Significant improvements in three of five quality of life domain scores were also reported at the same time point (p = 0.04). Conclusions The findings of this pilot study reveal a promising effect of Nokhodāb on pain and quality of life in patients with osteoarthritis. More definitive controlled trials are now needed to verify these findings.