Effect of a functional food (vegetable soup) on blood rheology in patients with polycythemia.

OBJECTIVE: Key hemorheological variables are associated with several life-threatening diseases including cardio-cerebro-vascular diseases. A diet can influence the blood rheological variables. To compare the effectiveness of a vegetable soup on blood viscosity (BV), hematocrit (Hct), plasma fibrinogen, lipid profile, fasting blood sugar (FBS), and blood osmolarity in patients with polycythemia in comparison to a control group. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This randomized controlled trial study was conducted at Isar health clinics in Mashhad, Iran, during a 7-month period. Forty male participants (35 to 60 years old) with polycythemia, but without underlying diseases, were included. They randomly assigned to two groups and either received diet/phlebotomy or phlebotomy alone, for 6 weeks. The data were analyzed by SPSS version 16 using parametric tests. RESULTS: A significant reduction in BV at 30s (p ≤ 0.001), BV at 40s (p ≤ 0.001), BV at 50s (p ≤ 0.001), Hct (p ≤ 0.001), plasma fibrinogen (p ≤ 0.001), total cholesterol (p<0.01), LDL-cholesterol (p<0.01), VLDL-cholesterol (p ≤ 0.001), HDL-cholesterol (p ≤ 0.01), osmolarity (p ≤ 0.001), and FBS (p ≤ 0.001) was observed in diet recipients. Following the intervention, there was a significant decrease in triglyceride (intervention group, p<0.05; control group, p<0.05), in both groups. CONCLUSION: This trial showed that the plant-based food used in this study could improve blood rheology.

Effect of diet on blood viscosity in healthy humans: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Increased whole blood viscosity is associated with increased risk of morbidity and mortality of several life-threatening diseases, including cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. The effect of diet on human health has been indicated in many studies, and a health dietary pattern can reduce the incidence of several chronic diseases. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this systematic review was to assess the effect of diet on blood viscosity and related parameters such as haematocrit (HCT). METHODS: This systematic review was carried out in 2017. MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched from inception to 2 May 2017. We selected and included randomized clinical trials (RCTs) in the study. The inclusion criteria were articles that describe the effect of any types of local and traditional diet on blood viscosity in apparently healthy individuals. RESULTS: Three randomized controlled trials were included in this systematic review. Different diets were used in the included trials. In one study, ingested dried-bonito broth (DBB) for four weeks, significantly reduced the blood passage time in the intervention group from 55.4±3.4 to 47.6±2.0 sec (mean ± SEM, p<0.05) compared with no significant change in the placebo group. Another study has shown significantly increased blood fluidity score in a vegetarian group in contrast to the control group after six weeks. In the last study, plasma viscosity was significantly decreased in a group which used onion-olive-oil capsules compared to the placebo group, with a highly significant difference between the two groups (p=0.0015). CONCLUSIONS: Our components of food diets may decrease blood viscosity in health status. Better and expanded methodology may improve our results.

Improvement in Sperm Parameters With Traditional Iranian Remedy: A Case Report.

INTRODUCTION: Idiopathic male infertility is a global problem with almost no definite medicinal treatment. Most patients have to go through intrauterine insemination or assisted reproductive technology for achieving fertility. Unfortunately, success rates are low in cases with very low sperm count. Therefore it seems that improvement in sperm quality can have beneficial effects on assisted reproductive technology outcome. CASE REPORT: A 39-year-old man with history of infertility for 6 years was referred to the traditional medicine clinic with a recurrent unsuccessful intracytoplasmic sperm injection trial. His sperm analysis showed severe oligoasthenoteratozoospermia. After taking a traditional remedy he had a remarkable improvement in his sperm parameters, which led to the formation of 8 embryos in the following intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycle. CONCLUSION: Traditional medicine presents various food and remedy options for treating male infertility. It seems that combination therapy can be beneficial in obtaining better results in treatment of male idiopathic infertility.

Herbal Medicines in Idiopathic Heavy Menstrual Bleeding: A Systematic Review.

Idiopathic heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB; IHMB) is a common gynecological problem with no pelvic pathology or general bleeding disorder. Herbal remedies are commonly used to treat HMB. This systematic review aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of herbal preparations for the treatment of IHMB. MEDLINE, Ovid, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched from inception to 23 August 2015. Only randomized controlled trials were considered. Three randomized controlled trials were included in this systematic review. Different herbal preparations were used in the included trials. In two studies, Ginger capsules and myrtle fruit syrup significantly reduced the menstrual duration and blood loss compared with placebo based on the pictorial blood loss assessment chart score (p < 0.001, p = 0.01). In another trial, Punica granatum flower capsules were as effective as tranexamic acid capsules in reducing the mean (SD) pictorial blood loss assessment chart score, with no significant difference between the two treatments (p = 0.3). The results show that the methods used in these trials may reduce menstrual bleeding in women with IHMB. Additional well-designed trials are needed to investigate the safety and efficacy of herbs for the treatment of women with IHMB or other forms of HMB.

Effects of a Topical Saffron (Crocus sativus L) Gel on Erectile Dysfunction in Diabetics: A Randomized, Parallel-Group, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Erectile dysfunction is a man's persistent or recurrent inability to achieve and maintain erection for a satisfactory sexual relationship. As diabetes is a major risk factor for erectile dysfunction, the prevalence of erectile dysfunction among diabetic men has been reported as 35% to 90%. This randomized, parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial investigated the effects of a topical saffron (Crocus sativus L) gel on erectile dysfunction in diabetic men. Patients were randomly allocated to 2 equal groups (with 25 patients each). The intervention group was treated with topical saffron, and the control received a similar treatment with placebo. The 2 groups were assessed using the International Index of Erectile Function Questionnaire before the intervention and 1 month after the intervention. Compared to placebo, the prepared saffron gel could significantly improve erectile dysfunction in diabetic patients (P < .001). This preliminary evidence suggests that saffron can be considered as a treatment option for diabetic men with erectile dysfunction.