title: Protective Effects of Nigella sativa on Metabolic Syndrome in Menopausal Women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was conducted in menopausal women to determine the metabolic impact of Nigella sativa.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty subjects who were menopausal women within the age limit of 45-60 were participated in this study and randomly allotted into two experimental groups. The treatment group was orally administered with N. sativa seeds powder in the form of capsules at a dose of 1g per day after breakfast for period of two months and compared to control group given placebo. Anthropometric and biochemical parameters were measured at baseline, 1st month, 2nd month and a month after treatment completed to determine their body weight, serum lipid profile and fasting blood glucose (FBG).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The treatment group showed slight reduction with no significant difference in body weight changes of the respondents. However, significant (p<0.05) improvement was observed in total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and blood glucose (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggested that treatment with N. sativa exert a protective effect by improving lipid profile and blood glucose which are in higher risk to be elevated during menopausal period.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Ramlah Mohamad
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Ibrahim
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Nurul Syima
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Hamdan
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia. ; Nutrigenomic Programme, Laboratory of Molecular Biomedicine, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Maznah
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ismail
authors.affiliation: Department of Imaging, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Suraini Mohd
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Saini
authors.affiliation: Department of Imaging, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Saiful Nizam
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Abd Rashid
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Latiffah
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Abd Latiff
authors.affiliation: Department of Imaging, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Rozi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mahmud
keywords: Hyperglycemia; Hyperlipidemic; Menopause; Metabolic syndrome; Nigella sativa