title: Anethum graveolens and hyperlipidemia: A randomized clinical trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It has been established that hyperlipidemia increases the incidence and mortality associated with coronary heart disease. In this study, the effects of Dill (Anethum graveolens) were evaluated on lipid profile of hypercholesterolemic patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this clinical study, 91 hyperlipidemic patients were randomly designated into two groups. One group received gemfibrozil (900 mg daily) and the other group received Dill tablet (six tablets daily) for 2 months. The blood lipids including total cholesterol, triglyceride and high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol from each group were assessed at the beginning and end of the trial.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Use of gemfibrozil brought about increased HDL-cholesterol by 3.91% (P < 0.05) and reduced triglyceride and total cholesterol by 32.7% (P < 0.05) and 9.41% (P < 0.05), respectively. Applying Dill tablet for 2 months resulted in reduction of total cholesterol up to 18% (P < 0.05) and triglyceride by 7.38% (P < 0.05). However, circulating HDL-cholesterol was not affected by this treatment. In this study, gemfibrozil decreased triglyceride and increased HDL-cholesterol more than anethum (P < 0.05). Anethum decreased total cholesterol more than gemfibrozil (P < 0.05). Patients treated with anethum did not report any side effects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this trial indicate that Dill might be beneficial for hypercholesterolemic and hypertriglycemic patients.
authors.affiliation: Medical Plants Research Center, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahmoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mirhosseini
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Azar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baradaran
authors.affiliation: Medical Plants Research Center, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahmoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rafieian-Kopaei
keywords: Anethum graveolens; gemfibrozil; high density lipoprotein-cholesterol; total cholesterol; triglyceride