2015, Pages 339–362
Chapter 16 – Clinical Effects of Caraway, a Traditional Medicine for Weight Loss
Abstract
The seeds of caraway (Carum carvi
L.), a potent medicinal plant, are traditionally used for inducing
weight loss. In this study, the antiobesity properties of caraway
aqueous extract (CAE) at 30 mL/day are examined in a randomized,
triple-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study. At baseline, 70
overweight and obese, healthy, aerobic-trained, women were randomly
assigned to two groups (n = 35 per group). After 12 weeks, the CAE
group, compared with placebo, showed a significant decrease in weight,
body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage, and anthropometric indices.
No changes were detected in the clinical and para-clinical assessments
of participants. The findings show that dietary CAE with no limit in
diet, when combined with physical activity, is of value in the treatment
of obesity in women, lowering their weight, BMI, body fat percentage,
and body size, and has no negative clinical effects. This trial is
registered as NCT01833377.
Keywords
- Anti-obesity;
- Caraway;
- Clinical trial;
- Lowered BMI;
- Lowered body fat;
- Medicinal plant;
- Safety;
- Weight reduction
Acknowledgment
The
authors are grateful to Prof. Toh Seok Kam, Department of Chemistry,
University of Malaya, for assistance in the preparation of the structure
diagrams for this article.
Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
