title: The effect of garlic tablet on pro-inflammatory cytokines in postmenopausal osteoporotic women: a randomized controlled clinical trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Menopause is one of the important causes of osteoporosis which results from estrogen deficiency. In addition, some clinical and experimental evidence indicates that there is an association between increasing pro-inflammatory cytokine activity and postmenopausal bone loss. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of garlic tablet on pro-inflammatory cytokines in postmenopausal osteoporotic women.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study was a double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial in Yazd conducted during November 2009 until July 2010. The sample included 44 postmenopausal osteoporotic women who were randomly assigned into two groups: the garlic group (GG) and the placebo group (PG). Participants in GG took two garlic tablets daily for 1 month and the participants in PG took placebo tablets in the same manner. Serum interlukin-1, interlukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) were measured using the ELISA method before and after the intervention. Also, 24-hour dietary recall was recorded for estimation of daily intake of some nutrients. Data were analyzed using SPSS software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no statistically significant difference between interlukin-1 and interlukin-6 in the two groups before and after the intervention. The mean of TNF-α did not show any statistically significant difference between the two groups before and after the intervention, but it was significantly reduced by about 47% (from 31.14±50.53 to 19.33±22.19 ng/ml, P-value = 0.05) in GG after the intervention, However, no significant difference was seen in PG.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study produced some evidence for an immunomodulatory effect of garlic, as well as the modulation of cytokine production.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran. mozaffari.kh@gmail.com
authors.forename: Hassan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mozaffari-Khosravi
authors.forename: Hamideh-al-Sadat
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Hesabgar
authors.forename: Mohammad-Bagher
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Owlia
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hadinedoushan
authors.forename: Kazem
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Barzegar
authors.forename: Mohammad Hossein
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Fllahzadeh
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015519:Bone Density; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D004220:Disulfides; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005737:Garlic / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010919:Placebos; D013441:Sulfinic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents; D016207:Cytokines; D004220:Disulfides; D007375:Interleukin-1; D015850:Interleukin-6; D010919:Placebos; D013441:Sulfinic Acids; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C006452:allicin