Background
Type 2 Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common chronic diseases in the world and has many complications. Due to the importance of using alternative therapies in managing symptoms of this disease, the present study was designed and conducted to investigate the effect of co-supplementation of berberine and fenugreek in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Methods
A randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted on 50 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Participants were randomized in the intervention group, which received 3 capsules/day of 500 mg (300 mg of berberine + 200 mg of fenugreek seed powder) or placebo for 12 weeks. Biochemical and anthropometric variables were measured at the beginning and end of the study.
Results
We observed that fasting insulin, HbA1C, and hs-CRP significantly decreased in the intervention group compared to the baseline. The mean difference in insulin resistance (-0.32 vs. 0.15), fasting blood sugar (-14.40 vs. 1.68), and fasting insulin (- 2.18 vs. 1.34) were clinically significant in comparison to the control group. Almost all domains of SF-12 scores were significantly higher in the intervention group than in the placebo group.
Conclusions
The combination of berberine and fenugreek seed can improve cardio-metabolic status in patients with diabetes and support the anti-diabetic and anti-inflammatory role of herb in the improvement of quality of life.
BackgroundMultiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex inflammatory disease in which demyelination occurs in the central nervous system affecting approximately 2.5 million people worldwide. Intestinal microbiome changes play an important role in the etiology of chronic diseases.ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the effect of probiotic supplementation on systemic inflammation in patients with MS.MethodsA 12-week double-blind clinical trial study was designed and seventy patients with MS were randomly divided into two groups receiving probiotics and placebo. Patients in the intervention group received two capsules containing multi-strain probiotics daily and patients in the control group received the same amount of placebo. Factors associated with systemic inflammation were assessed at the beginning and end of the study.ResultsSixty-five patients were included in the final analysis. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of baseline variables except for the duration of the disease (P > 0.05). At the end of the study, probiotic supplementation compared to the placebo caused a significant reduction in the serum levels of CRP (−0.93 ± 1.62 vs. 0.05 ± 1.74, P = 0.03), TNF-α (−2.09 ± 1.88 vs. 0.48 ± 2.53, P = 0.015) and IFN-γ (−13.18 ± 7.33 vs. −1.93 ± 5.99, P < 0.001). Also, we found a significant increase in the FOXP3 and TGF-β levels in the intervention group (P < 0.05).ConclusionThe results of our study showed that supplementation with probiotics can have beneficial effects on serum levels of some factors associated with systemic inflammation.Clinical trial registration[http://www.irct.ir], identifier [IRCT20181210041 918N1].
Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex inflammatory disease in which demyelination occurs in the central nervous system affecting approximately 2.5 million people worldwide. Intestinal microbiome changes play an important role in the etiology of chronic diseases. This study aimed to investigate the effect of probiotic supplementation on systemic inflammation in patients with MS.Methods: A twenty-four-week double-blind clinical trial study was designed and seventy patients with MS were randomly divided into two groups receiving probiotics and placebo. Patients in the intervention group received two capsules containing multi-strain probiotics daily and patients in the control group received the same amount of placebo. Factors associated with systemic inflammation were assessed at the beginning and end of the study.Results: Sixty-five patients were included in the final analysis. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of baseline variables except for the duration of the disease (P>0.05). At the end of the study, probiotic supplementation compared to the placebo caused a significant reduction in the serum levels of CRP (-0.93± 1.62 vs. 0.05 ± 1.74, P=0.03), TNF-a ( -2.09 ± 1.88 vs. 0.48 ± 2.53, P=0.015) and IFN-γ (-13.18± 7.33 vs. -1.93± 5.99, P<0.001). Also, we found a significant increase in the FOXP3 and TGF-β levels in the intervention group (P<0.05).Conclusion: The results of our study showed that supplementation with probiotics can have beneficial effects on serum levels of some factors associated with systemic inflammation.Trial registration: Approved by the Ethics Committee of the Ahwaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran. This study was registered within Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT) ( http://www.irct.ir) under the number IRCT20181210041918N2.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.