Nigella sativa supplementation improves cardiometabolic indicators in population with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

ObjectiveNigella sativa (N. sativa) from the family Ranunculaceae has medicinal properties. Previous studies have reported promising findings showing that N. sativa may benefit cardiometabolic health; however, current evidence on its cardiometabolic effects on those with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is still unclear. Hence, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the efficacy of N. sativa on cardiometabolic parameters in population with prediabetes and T2DM. MethodsPubMed/Medline, ISI Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane library were systematically searched up to June 20, 2022. Meta-analyses using random-effects models were used. ResultsEleven randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included in the meta-analysis. N. sativa intervention resulted in significant changes in fasting plasma glucose (FPG), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), c-reactive protein (CRP), and malondialdehyde (MDA), without overall changes in glucose levels after oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), fasting insulin, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and body mass index (BMI) when compared with the control group. In subgroup analyses, N. sativa supplementation enhanced serum levels of HDL-C in subjects with baseline HDL-C lower than 40 mg/dL. Furthermore, HOMA-IR and BMI values decreased in the N. sativa-supplemented group compared with the control group, when the length of follow-up was more than 8 weeks and the dose was more than 1 g/day for N. sativa supplementation, respectively. ConclusionOur findings indicate that N. sativa supplementation may effectively improve cardiometabolic profiles in individuals with prediabetes and T2DM.

Automated summary

The systematic review and meta-analysis found that supplementation with N. sativa can effectively improve cardiometabolic profiles in individuals with prediabetes and T2DM.