Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is the most common cause of chronic liver disease in the world and is expected to continue to rise.
Other diseases that are often linked to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease include metabolic syndrome, obesity, insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance, and high cholesterol.
Left untreated these patients are at risk of developing cirrhosis and liver cancer.
The Mediterranean diet includes artichokes that have been linked to reducing cholesterol and protecting the liver.
Here are the details of the study
– Double blind randomized placebo controlled
– Placebo (n=40) and artichoke leaf extract (n = 41)
– Subjects received 600 milligrams per day of artichoke leaf extract in three divided doses (i.e. 200 mg) every 8 hr
– Artichoke leaf extract was standardized to contain 2 milligrams per day of cynarine
Here are the results
– Body mass index was reduced (p<0.001)
– Waist circumference was decreased (p<0.001)
– No changes in blood pressure
– Liver enzymes ALT and AST were decreased (p<0.001)
– Uric acid levels were decreased (p<0.001)
– Read more about how uric acid is lined to gout and other plant extracts studied in clinical trials for gout
– Total cholesterol was reduced by 46.0 mg/dL (p<0.001)
– LDL was reduced by 36.5 mg/dL (p<0.001)
– HDL was decreased by 4.7 mg/dL (p<0.011)
– Triglycerides was decreased by 51 mg/dL (p<0.001)
Here are what the authors had to say
This pilot study has shown that 2 months of treatment with ALE increased hepatic vein flow and reduced portal vein diameter and liver size in comparison with placebo. These findings were accompanied by a reduction of both AST and ALT as well as traditional liver markers.
and
This study has shown the beneficial effects of ALE supplementation on both ultrasound liver parameters and liver serum parameters of ALT, AST, and total bilirubin in patients with an ultrasound diagnosis of NAFLD.
Take away message
The results of this study suggest there could be a benefit with artichoke leaf extract for reducing the symptoms associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study did not include a liver biopsy which is often considered the gold standard for diagnosing and staging NAFLD liver disease.
Future studies are needed that include more people to determine the full potential of artichoke leaf extract in patients.
Reference
Panahi Y et al. Efficacy of artichoke leaf extract in non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease: A pilot double‐blind randomized controlled trial. Phytotherapy Research. March 2018
His research on plant medicine has led to more than 45 publications and abstracts.This research has been presented at international meetings in the USA, France, Turkey, Peru, Israel, Austria, and Italy.
Categories: Antioxidant, Clinical Trials, Liver
Clinical Trial: Agrimony extract tested for liver protecting benefit 
Clinical Trial: Berberine lowers cholesterol 
Low dose curcumin shows benefits in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in 8 weeks