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Research Article - Insights in Nutrition and Metabolism (2017) Volume 1, Issue 2
Argan oil improves dyslipidemia of metabolic syndrome: Human interventional study
This study aims to evaluate the effect of argan oil on the metabolic syndrome parameters. For that, 29 patients have been selected from a group of hypertensive patients visiting the cardiology department of the University Hospital Ibn Rochd in Casablanca Morocco to participate in a nutritional intervention study with alimentary argan oil. The patients selected were randomized into 2 groups: one group was consuming 25 ml of argan oil daily for a period of 3 weeks of intervention, and the other group as control group did not consume argan oil. The average age of these patients in both groups is between 57 and 63 years. A detailed analysis of dietary intake was carried out before, during, and after the argan oil intervention phase. This dietary intake consists of lowering calorie-intake of lipids and carbohydrates, and of increasing proteins without reaching significance. Accordingly, the analysis of the plasma lipid parameters before and after the nutritional intervention with argan oil showed an improvement of the following parameters: a significant decrease in plasma concentration of triglycerides (p<0.001) from 246 ± 112 mg/dl to 126 ± 56 mg/dl) and a significant increase (p=0.01) in the plasma concentration of HDL cholesterol (from 35 ± 11 mg/dl to 54 ± 27 mg/dl) after the argan oil intervention. Nevertheless, the plasma concentrations of total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol were not significantly altered. This study concludes that argan oil can prevent the cardiovascular complications in patients suffering from metabolic syndrome.
Author(s): Mouhib M, Benhilal A, Ouazzan R, El Messal M, Habbal R, Adlouni A