The Effect of Chlorella Vulgaris vs. Artichoke on Patients with Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD): A Randomized Clinical Trial

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease has been identified as a major health -related problem.There is no proven therapy for NAFLD. However, a number of possible treatments have been proposed and studied. The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic effects of both Chlorella Vulgaris and Artichoke leaf extracts on NAFLD. In this clinical trial study, 90 patients with NAFLD participated and randomly allocated to three groups. After initial examination, lipids and liver enzymes were measured. The groups received Metformin, Chlorella supplements and Artichoke. After the therapeutic period, liver enzymes were measured again. All collected data were analyzed using SPSS software and independent T-Test, Mann-Whitney and Chi-Square tests. At baseline, mean age, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, BMI, ALT, AST, HDL, LDL, TG, CHOL and FBS showed no significant difference in three groups. But, after the completion of the treatment, serum ALT, AST, systolic and diastolic blood pressure and BMI significantly decreased in all three groups. Our study showed the beneficial effects of Artichoke and Chlorella vulgaris in patients with NAFLD. We suggest future studies be performed with larger sample sizes for precise evaluation of the effects of Artichoke and Chlorella vulgaris on NAFLD.