title: Effect of garlic powder consumption on body composition in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease that is becoming a public health problem in recent decades. Obesity and overweight play a key role in NAFLD pathogenesis. Thus, weight loss (especially body fat mass) is one component of therapeutic strategies in NAFLD. Results from experimental studies have shown that garlic (Allium sativum L.) can reduce body weight and body fat mass. However, the effect of garlic on body fat mass and weight in the human population, which is addressed in this study, is still obscure.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this clinical trial, 110 subjects with NAFLD were randomly assigned to the intervention or the control group. The intervention group received two garlic tablets (containing 400 mg of garlic powder) daily while the control group received placebo tablets. Dietary intake and physical activity of participants were obtained by a validated questionnaire. Body composition was measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 16.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the intervention group, significant reductions were observed in body weight and body fat mass (P < 0.05). We also observed a significant reduction in body weight in the control group, but there were no significant changes in total body water and lean body mass in both groups (P > 0.05). In the intervention group, the percentage change in body weight was significantly greater than the control group (-2.6 vs. -0.7, P = 0.02). No serious side effects associated with the intervention were reported.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our trial suggests that garlic supplemfrom experimental studies have shown thatentation can reduce body weight and fat mass among subjects with NAFLD.
authors.affiliation: Food Security Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Davood
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Soleimani
authors.affiliation: Food Security Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran; Department of Clinical Nutrition, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Zamzam
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Paknahad
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Nutrition, Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Isfahan, Iran; Isfahan Endocrine and Metabolism Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Gholamreza
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Askari
authors.affiliation: Isfahan Endocrine and Metabolism Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Bijan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Iraj
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Awat
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Feizi
keywords: Body composition; body fat mass; lean body mass; nonalcoholic fatty liver disease