title: The favorable effects of garlic intake on metabolic profiles, hs-CRP, biomarkers of oxidative stress and pregnancy outcomes in pregnant women at risk for pre-eclampsia: randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was performed to determine the favorable effects of garlic on metabolic status and pregnancy outcomes among pregnant women at risk for pre-eclampsia.
  
  
  METHODS
  This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted among 44 pregnant women, primigravida, aged 18-40 years old at 27 weeks' gestation with positive roll-over test. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either one garlic tablet (equal to 400 mg garlic and 1 mg allicin) (n = 22) or placebo (n = 22) once daily for 9 weeks. Fasting blood samples were taken at baseline and after 9 weeks' intervention to measure metabolic profiles and biomarkers of oxidative stress.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Administration of garlic compared with the placebo resulted in decreased levels of serum high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) (-1425.90 versus 1360.50 ng/mL, p = 0.01) and increased plasma glutathione (GSH) (+98.10 versus. -49.87 µmol/l, p = 0.03). A trend toward a significant effect of garlic intake on reducing fasting plasma glucose (FPG) (p = 0.07), insulin (p = 0.09) and increasing quantitative insulin sensitivity check (QUICKI) (p = 0.05) was also observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Consumption of garlic for 9 weeks among pregnant women at risk for pre-eclampsia led to decreased hs-CRP and increased GSH, but did not affect lipid profiles, total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and pregnancy outcomes.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics , School of Medicine, Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran .
authors.forename: Rezvan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aalami-Harandi
authors.affiliation: b Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics , School of Medicine, Arak University of Medical Sciences , Arak , Iran , and.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karamali
authors.affiliation: c Research Center for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Kashan University of Medical Sciences , Kashan , Iran.
authors.forename: Zatollah
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Asemi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D004032:Diet; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005215:Fasting; D005260:Female; D005737:Garlic; D005978:Glutathione / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D007492:Iran; D055442:Metabolome; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010919:Placebos; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D018566:Pregnancy, High-Risk / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D010919:Placebos; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D005978:Glutathione
keywords: Garlic; hs-CRP; metabolic profiles; oxidative stress; pregnancy outcomes