Document Type : Research articles

Authors

• Aida Ghaffari ¹
• Maryam Rafraf ²
• Roya Navekar ³
• Bita Sepehri ⁴
• Mohammad Asghari-Jafarabadi ^{5, 6}
• Seyyed-Mostafa Ghavami ⁷
• Nahid Manaf ⁸

¹ Student’s Research Committee, Faculty of Nutrition and Food Science, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

² Department of Community Nutrition, Faculty of Nutrition and Food Science, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

³ Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

⁴ Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

⁵ Road Traffic Injury Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

⁶ Department of Statistics and Epidemiology, Faculty of Health, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

⁷ Department of Radiology, Faculty of Paramedical, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

⁸ Sanjesh Laboratory

Abstract

Background: Elevated levels of homocysteine (Hcy) and fetuin-A are important risk factors for cardiovascular diseases in patients with a nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). There is limited evidence regarding the effects of turmeric on NAFLD.
Objectives: This study aimed at investigating the effects of turmeric supplementation on serum levels of Hcy and fetuin-A in patients with NAFLD.
Methods: In this double-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial, 46 NAFLD patients (21 males and 25 females; age range, 20 - 60 years) with body mass index ranged 24.9 - 40 kg/m2 were recruited from Sheikh-ol-Raees clinic in Tabriz City, Iran during Nov 2014-May 2015. The participants were allocated into the two groups using the block randomization method. The intervention and control groups received 3g of turmeric (n = 23) and placebo (n = 23), daily for 12 weeks. Fasting blood samples were collected at baseline and at the end of the trial for biochemical analysis.
Results: Turmeric supplementation significantly decreased serum levels of Hcy, compared with the placebo group at the end of the study (by 27.83%, P = 0.034). No significant difference was observed between the two groups in serum levels of fetuin-A after the intervention (P > 0.05). Serum levels of glucose, insulin and homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance were declined significantly in the turmeric group (by 1.22%, 17.69% and 19.48%, P = 0.039, P = 0.013 and P = 0.001, respectively) compared to the placebo.
Conclusions: Turmeric consumption had beneficial effects on serum Hcy levels and may be useful in management of this risk factor in NAFLD patients.

Keywords

• Turmeric
• Homocysteine
• Fetuin-A
• Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver