Globe artichoke (Cynara scolymus) has a long history of medicinal use for the liver and for supporting digestive health. Human studies are suggesting that it can potentially protect the liver from damage and may help to improve liver status in those people who already have liver damage.
A 2021 randomised clinical trial investigated the positive effect of co-administration of globe artichoke leaf extract, with conventional medicines, on patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NAFLD is the most common cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. It is a condition in which excess fat builds up in the liver cells that is not caused by heavy alcohol use. The trial was based on patients randomly divided into three groups supplementing metformin (an antidiabetic agent used in NAFLD) and vitamin E; metformin and globe artichoke; and vitamin E and globe artichoke. The effectiveness of the therapy in the treated groups was evaluated using liver ultrasonography and the biochemical markers, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). Serum ALT and AST levels are commonly used biomarkers to assess liver function and are considered indicators of NAFLD.
After 12 weeks of treatment, ALT and AST were significantly reduced in all study groups and the rate of liver fat accumulation had also decreased significantly in all study groups. Although larger clinical trials are needed, these results suggest that taking globe artichoke with metformin and vitamin E can have beneficial effects on improving complications in patients with NAFLD.
References
Panahi Y, Kianpour P, Mohtashami R, Atkin SL, Butler AE, Jafari R, Badeli R, Sahebkar A. Efficacy of artichoke leaf extract in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A pilot double-blind randomized controlled trial. Phytother Res. 2018 Jul;32(7):1382-1387. doi: 10.1002/ptr.6073. Epub 2018 Mar 9. PMID: 29520889.
Majnooni MB, Ataee M, Bahrami G, Heydarpour F, Aneva IY, Farzaei MH, Ahmadi-Juoibari T. The effects of co-administration of artichoke leaf extract supplementation with metformin and vitamin E in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A randomized clinical trial. Phytother Res. 2021 Nov;35(11):6324-6334. doi: 10.1002/ptr.7279. Epub 2021 Sep 17. PMID: 34533249
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