The Impact of Combined Cranberry Supplementation and Weight Loss Diet on Inflammatory, Antioxidant, and Apoptosis Biomarkers in Patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Controlled Clinical Trial

Razie  Hormoznejad; Majid Mohammad  Shahi; Sepideh  Mahboobi; Fakher  Rahim; Bijan  Helli; Pezhman  Alavinejad; Narges  Dehghanseresht; Asaad  Sharhani

doi:10.18502/jnfs.v9i4.16898

Razie Hormoznejad Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
Majid Mohammad Shahi Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
Sepideh Mahboobi Department of Clinical Nutrition, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
Fakher Rahim Clinical Research Development Unit, Golestan Hospital, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Science, Ahvaz, Iran;
Bijan Helli Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran;
Pezhman Alavinejad Alimentary Tract Research Center, Ahvaz Imam Hospital, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Science, Ahvaz, Iran
Narges Dehghanseresht Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
Asaad Sharhani Department of Epidemiology, and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Science, Ahvaz, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/jnfs.v9i4.16898

Keywords: Vaccinium macrocarpon; Non-alcohlic fatty liver diseases; Inflammation; Oxidative stress; Apoptosis.

Abstract

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a prevalent chronic liver disease. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of combined weight loss diet and cranberry supplementation on anthropometric measurements, inflammation and antioxidant biomarkers in patients with NAFLD. Methods: In this randomized, double-blinded, and controlled clinical trial, 41 NAFLD patients were supplemented with either cranberry or placebo tablets for 12 weeks. Both groups followed a diet of 500-1000 calories less than the estimated energy requirements. Serum levels of total antioxidant capacity (TAC), malondialdehyde (MDA), cytokeratin 18 M30 (CK-18 M30), chemokine C-C motif ligand 2 (CCL2) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) were measured at both baseline and the end of the study. Results: Significant improvements in TAC were observed in the cranberry group and between the two groups (P=0.006 and P=0.011, respectively), but the changes in the placebo group were not significant (P=0.325). There were no statistically significant differences in the serum levels of MDA, CK-18 M30, CCL2 and TNF-α between the cranberry and the placebo groups (P>0.05). Conclusions: It seems that daily consumption of cranberry supplement would be beneficial in increasing serum levels of TAC. Further studies are needed to investigate the effects of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of cranberry on NAFLD.