This article contains findings obtained from research on animals:
- The results from animal research studies should not be directly applied to humans and the results may not generalise to the human population.
- There may be significant differences between species in terms of physiology, physiology, and pharmacology, as well as differences in the way diseases and treatments are modelled in animals.
- Any conclusions drawn from animal research should be considered with caution and in the context of other types of research studies such as observational studies, clinical trials, and reviews of the literature.
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Pomegranate juice consumption appears to somewhat enhance inflammatory status and complete blood count in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
2023 Complementary Therapies in Medicine Adjuvant pomegranate juice intake improves the inflammatory status of hospitalized COVID-19 patients: A randomized and placebo-controlled trial Yousefi M, Sadriirani M, Mahmoodi S, Samimi B, Pourmahmoudi A, Hosseinikia M, et al.
Randomised Controlled Trial COVID-19 CRP Inflammation
The study was a randomized, double-blinded placebo-controlled trial involving 48 patients and had two parallel arms. As part of their standard hospital care, patients were either given 500 mL of whole pomegranate juice daily or a placebo for a period of 14 days. The researchers focused on measuring inflammatory indicators and complete blood counts both at the start of the study and at the end of the 14-day intervention period.
Following the 14-day intervention, there was a distinguishable decrease in primary outcomes including inflammatory markers such as C reactive protein, interleukin-6, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate in the group that consumed pomegranate juice as compared to the readings before the intervention. In addition, considerable changes were also observed in secondary outcomes such as neutrophils, lymphocytes, platelets, platelets-to-lymphocyte and neutrophils-to-lymphocyte ratios in the pomegranate juice group compared to the parameters before the intervention. Finally, the mean changes in levels of interleukin-6, white blood cells, neutrophils, lymphocyte, platelets, platelets-to-lymphocyte ratio, blood oxygen saturation and MCV were significantly different between the two groups by the end of intervention, while no significant difference was noted in other blood indices.
Rheumatoid arthritis-specific inflammation can be linked directly to the intestinal microbiota, thus, nutritional interventions against gut dysbiosis could function as a causal therapeutic approach.
2023 Journal of Clinical Medicine Intestinal Microbiota Reduction Followed by Fasting Discloses Microbial Triggering of Inflammation in Rheumatoid Arthritis Häupl T, Sörensen T, Smiljanovic B, Darcy M, Scheder-Bieschin J, Steckhan N, et al.
Clinical Study Inflammation Rheumatoid Arthritis
The study initiated by reducing the intestinal microbiome in 20 Rheumatoid Arthritis patients through bowel cleansing and a week of fasting, limiting the intake to 250 kcal/day. It also employed immune monitoring and sequencing of the microbiome. A control group constituting patients with metabolic syndrome was incorporated to serve as a non-inflammatory baseline. To understand the fluctuation and impact on disease activity, disease activity scores were calculated and cytometric profiling was performed, tracing up to 46 different surface markers. Additionally, serum levels of certain cytokines and indicators of mucosal barrier disruption were monitored.
The change in intestinal microbiota, i.e., the effect of fasting on arthritogenic bacteria and the shift in microbial composition, was analyzed using sequencing. The detection of more eukaryotic, predominantly fungal colonizers in RA patients was also observed to understand their potential involvement. Finally, the study investigated the observed increase in endogenous cortisol levels during fasting.
Ginger supplementation can prevent ethanol-induced reproductive dysfunction by improving hormone levels, reducing oxidative damage, inflammation, and regulating genes involved in testosterone synthesis.
2021 Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) Improves Ethanol-Induced Reproductive Dysfunction by Enhancing Steroidogenesis and Inhibiting Oxidative Stress and Inflammation Li N, Xing Y, Sultan AH, Raeeszadeh M, Akbari A, Liu H
Experimental Study Ginger Inflammation Oxidative Stress
The methodology involved twenty-four adult male rats divided into four groups for a 28-day experiment. The researchers administered either ethanol or ginger extract to respective groups and then measured varying physiological factors related to reproductive health such as testosterone levels, antioxidant enzyme activity, concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and gonadotropins hormones. In addition, gene expressions related to oxidative damage, inflammation, and testosterone synthesis were also examined.
Animating the discussion of results, it was observed that the administration of ethanol significantly decreased levels of hormones, oxidative markers, and lowered gene expression involved in testosterone synthesis. Conversely, ethanol caused an increase in inflammatory markers and the expression of genes related to inflammation. On the other hand, rats given a ginger supplement positively reversed these effects, showing significant improvements in all factors, thus leading to the conclusion that ginger can prevent reproductive issues induced by ethanol. The results obtained from the histological study further confirmed these findings, reaffirming that ginger could effectively counter ethanol-induced reproductive dysfunction.
Pomegranate juice supplementation notably diminishes inflammation and vascular dysfunction markers in adults, offering potential cardiovascular health benefits.
2020 Complementary Therapies in Medicine The effects of pomegranate supplementation on biomarkers of inflammation and endothelial dysfunction: A meta-analysis and systematic review Wang P, Zhang Q, Hou H, Liu Z, Wang L, Rasekhmagham R, et al.
Meta-Analysis Endothelial Dysfunction Inflammation Pomegranate
The research used a broad approach, systematically reviewing and performing a meta-analysis of 16 randomised controlled trials including 572 participants, as per the Preferred Items for Reporting of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Relevant articles and references were found via the PubMed/Medline and SCOPUS databases, with screening carried out up until May 2019. The studies explored the impact of pomegranate juice supplements.
The discussion reveals that pomegranate supplementation conspicuously reduced the levels of certain pro-inflammatory and vascular dysfunction markers. However, the research found no significant reduction in some other markers when compared to a placebo. Despite not all markers recording significant reduction, the overall findings strongly suggest pomegranate supplements as a viable tactic for reducing inflammation in adults, potentially offering cardiovascular health advantages.
Intermittent fasting and energy-restricted diets may decrease inflammatory markers, especially in overweight and obese individuals, but have no impact on the levels of certain proteins involved in inflammation.
2020 Nutrition Effects of intermittent fasting diets on plasma concentrations of inflammatory biomarkers: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials Wang X, Yang Q, Liao Q, Li M, Zhang P, Santos HO, et al.
Meta-Analysis Inflammation Intermittent Fasting
The research involved the systematic search of online medical databases such as Web of Sciences, PubMed, SCOPUS, and Google Scholar until June 2019. The aim was to evaluate the effects of Intermittent fasting (IF) and energy-restricted diets (ERDs) on plasma concentrations of inflammatory biomarker. The study included randomised control trials and the effect sizes were evaluated using a weighted mean difference from the random-effects model. Eighteen eligible trials were included in this meta-analysis.
The results showed a significant reduction in C-reactive protein concentrations, an inflammatory marker, with IF regimens and ERDs, and this reduction was even more profound in overweight and obese individuals. The treatment also showed better results with a longer duration of intervention of eight weeks or more. However, neither dietary model decreased the concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-α or interleukin-6, which are proteins involved in the inflammation process.
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