Effect of Cornus Mas L. Fruit Extract on Blood Pressure, Anthropometric and Body Composition Indices in Patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Obesity is an important factor in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Patients with NAFLD are at increased risk for hypertension. Some investigations have hypothesized that Cornus mas L. fruit can improve blood pressure and obesity. We investigated the effect of Cornus mas L. fruit extract on blood pressure variables, anthropometric and body composition indices in patients with NAFLD. Methods: This double-blind, randomized controlled trial was conducted on fifty patients with NAFLD. Patients received 20 cc/d Cornus mas L. fruit extract or placebo for 12 weeks. We measured diastolic blood pressure (DBP), systolic blood pressure (SBP), weight, waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), body fat mass (BFM), body fat percent (BFP) and fat free mass (FFM) at the baseline and after intervention. Results: The treatment group compared to the control group showed a significant reduction in DBP (-8.62 ± 11.86 vs. 0.53 ± 8.53; P = 0.009), SBP (-8.63 ± 14.37 vs. 0.0 ± 12.67; P = 0.04), BFM (-0.2 ± 3.9 vs. 0.7 ± 2.4; P = 0.02) and BFP (-0.2 ± 4.9 vs. 0.8 ± 2.8; P = 0.05) after adjusting for confounding factors. However, we found no significant difference between groups in weight, WC, HC, WHR and FFM (P > 0.05). Conclusions: Cornus mas L. can improve blood pressure. Further studies with higher dosages of extract are needed to clarify its effects on obesity. Trial registration: Registered on 30 September 2018 at Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials IRCT20180419039359N1 (https://www.irct.ir/trial/30707).