Effect of cardamom consumption on inflammation and blood pressure in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials
Cardamom has the potential to offer anti-inflammatory and antihypertensive advantages, but the findings from clinical trials have been inconsistent. To address this knowledge gap, the present systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and antihypertensive effects of cardamom in adults. We systematically searched databases including PubMed, Scopus, and ISI Web of Sciences, for papers published up to October 2022 to identify clinical studies. Eight eligible studies were included in the meta-analysis. A fixed model was used to estimate weighted mean difference (WMD), standardized mean difference (SMD), and 95% confidence interval (95% CI). The results showed that cardamom significantly reduced the levels of inflammatory factors, including hs-CRP (SMD: −0.60 mg/dL; 95% CI: −0.78 to 0.42), IL-6 (WMD: −1.25 mg/dL; 95% CI: −1.48 to −1.03), TNF-α (WMD: −2.10 kg; 95% CI: −2.36 to −1.84, p |