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Can cranberry pills affect liver?

Adding a cranberry supplement to a weight loss diet program may improve insulin, insulin resistance, and key liver enzyme levels in people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), says a new study.

nutraingredients-usa.com - Cranberries may enhance metabolic and liver benefits of weight loss diet

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NAFLD is the most prevalent liver abnormality in Western countries and parallels the epidemic of metabolic syndrome, obesity and diabetes. Frequently disabling and occasionally leading to cirrhosis, fatty liver disease currently costs the US health care system about $32 billion annually. The new double-blind placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial used 288 mg per day of a cranberry extract for 12 weeks, which is equivalent to 26 g of dried cranberry. “To the best of our knowledge, this is the first randomised clinical trial that has investigated the effect of cranberry consumption on NAFLD characteristics,” wrote the authors in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition. “As the most common liver disease, NAFLD is usually associated with underactivity and overnutrition, visceral obesity, insulin resistance, dysglycemia, and dyslipidemia. In managing NAFLD, a dietary change is essential for decreasing body weight, improving metabolic status, and normalising biochemical parameters. “In this study, we found that co-administering cranberry with a weight loss diet for 12 weeks improves conditions by reducing ALT, insulin, and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in patients with NAFLD.”

Study details

Researchers from Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences in Iran recruited 41 people with NAFLD to participate in their study. All participants were assigned to the same weight loss diet, but 20 were given the additional cranberry supplement, while the other 21 received placebo for 12 weeks. Results showed that both groups experienced improvements in steatosis grade (the amount of fat in the liver) and anthropometric measurements (weight, BMI, body fat, waist circumference, hip circumference, and visceral adiposity index), with no differences between the groups for these measures. Both groups also displayed reductions in ALT (alanine aminotransferase), a key liver enzyme, but the reductions were significantly greater in cranberry group versus placebo. Insulin also decreased significantly in both groups, with the cranberry arm of the study again showing greater decreases, compared to placebo. Both groups also displayed significant improvements in HOMA-IR, a measure of insulin resistance, but the cranberry group experienced significantly greater improvements compared to placebo. Also, there was an improvement in steatosis grade and anthropometric measurements in both groups (p < .05), and there was no significant difference between the two groups in regard to these factors (p > .05). It seems that 288 mg of cranberry extract might improve managing NAFLD, which is equivalent to 26 g of dried cranberry. “Many pharmaceutical agents have been investigated specifically for the treatment of fatty liver. However, the beneficial effects of intaking herbal extracts along with complementary medicine in NAFLD patients have received considerable attention in recent years,” wrote the researchers. “The use of this management strategy has many advantages, including minimal side effects and wide application due to worldwide availability and low treatment costs.”

Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1080/09637486.2020.1746957

“Combined cranberry supplementation and weight loss diet in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a double-blind placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial”

Authors: R. Hormoznejad, et al.

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What happens if you take cranberry pills everyday?

These health benefits include preventing UTIs, improving heart and gut health, and helping with blood sugar management. Cranberry extracts may also help with cancer protection, teeth and gum health, lower blood pressure, obesity, and inflammation. Cranberry products are generally safe to take for most people.

medicinenet.com - What Do Cranberry Pills Do for You, and Is It OK to Take Them Every Day?

What are cranberry pills?

Cranberry pills are made from cranberry fruit dried and crushed into powder form. Cranberry pills are good for UTIs, heart and gut health, and while they are generally safe it is unknown if they are safe to take long-term. The cranberry is an evergreen shrub that has dark green leaves, pink flowers, and dark red fruit that we consume and generally refer to as cranberries. The cranberry fruit is small and egg-shaped. It is widely used for certain health benefits, like the prevention of urinary tract infections (UTIs). To serve this and other functions, cranberry fruit can be dried and crushed to be made into small tablets or capsules, which are called cranberry pills. Cranberry pills are made from cranberry fruit dried and crushed into powder form. The pills come in small tablets or capsules for ease of swallowing. Cranberry pills are dietary supplements and offer an easier way to gain the benefits that the cranberry fruit has to bring. People rarely eat the fresh cranberry fruit because of its sour and harsh flavor. This has resulted in a wide variety of cranberry products, including cranberry pills. Some cranberry pills may also contain other ingredients that further act as dietary supplements. These ingredients may be vitamin C or probiotics. The capsules or tablets typically contain 200 to 500 mg of dried cranberry. These pills are widely available in drugstores and online.

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