Cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) is a safe approach for management of lipid parameters: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of cumin supplementation on plasma lipid concentration in adult population. The search included PubMed, Scopus, ISI Web of Science, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane library (up to January 2018) to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the effects of cumin supplementation on serum lipid parameters. Mean difference (MD) was pooled using a random-effects model. Meta-analysis of data from six eligible RCTs with 376 participants showed a significant reduction in plasma concentration of total cholesterol (MD [95% CI] -10.90 [-21.39, -0.42] mg/dl, p = 0.042) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (MD [95% CI] -6.94 [-11.53, -2.35] mg/dl, p = 0.003) after supplementation with cumin compared with control treatment, and plasma concentration of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (MD [95% CI] 3.35 [1.58, 5.12] mg/dl, p˂0.001) were found to be increased. Although our analysis indicated that cumin supplementation cannot change triglyceride (TG) concentration (MD [95% CI] -20.48 [-41.23, -0.26] mg/dl, p = 0.053), but after stratified the RCTs based on the primary level of TG (hypertriglyceridemia versus nonhypertriglyceridemia subjects), there was a significant decrease in nonhypertriglyceridemia subset. This systematic review and meta-analysis suggested the efficacy of cumin supplementation on lipid parameters.