2017 Volume 70 Issue 3 Pages 109-115
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of fermented black garlic on hepatic function in Japanese adults. TRIAL DESIGN: A placebo-controlled, double-blinded, randomized trial. METHODS: Forty subjects were randomly assigned to either a garlic group (GG) or the placebo group (PG) , and instructed to take the assigned supplements for 12 weeks. Blood tests (hepatic and renal functions, and sugar and lipid metabolism) and physical measurements were conducted before intake (baseline) , and at weeks 6 and 12. RESULTS: The change in the level of ALT, a marker of hepatic function, between the baseline and week 12 was significantly smaller in the GG than in the PG (p＝0.049) , and the change in the level of AST also tended to be smaller in the former than in the latter (p＝0.099) . CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that intake of fermented black garlic for 12 weeks has a beneficial effect on hepatic function in healthy Japanese adults. This study has been registered in UMIN-CTR (UMIN000024771) .
