The Efficacy of Rosa damascena on Liver Enzymes in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Randomized Double-Blind Clinical Trial

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to appraise the potential effects of Rosa damascena preparation on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). DESIGN: In the randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trials, seventy-four patients with NAFLD were prescribed either 1 g Rosa damascena powder or placebo three times in a day for 12 weeks. All patients were provided the lifestyle modification instructions and recommended following them precisely. ALT, AST, FBS, and lipid profiles were measured at the baseline after 12 weeks of studying. The Mann–Whitney U test was correctly used to compare the changes of variables among the groups. RESULTS: Seventy-two patients completed the study in two groups. Sixty-seven patients were men, and the mean ± standard deviation of age was 40.11 ± 9.05 years. The Rosa damascena group showed a considerable decrease in the serum ALT (23.83 ± 24.82 vs. 16.19 ± 27.41, p=0.042), waist circumference (99.73 ± 10.01 vs. 101.52 ± 8.84, p=0.003), triglyceride (TG) (186.29 ± 76.75 vs. 184.47 ± 73.05, p=0.001), cholesterol (167.47 ± 34.48 vs. 184.11 ± 33.54, p=0.001), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (99.17 ± 28.66 vs. 107.52 ± 25.42, p=0.001), and elevation in serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (41.85 ± 6.56 vs. 39.20 ± 5.00, p < 0.007) compared to the control group. Improving fatty liver degree due to liver ultrasound was higher in the Rosa damascena group than the control group (p=0.001). CONCLUSION: Rosa damascena meaningfully improves liver function in NAFLD. Hence, it can be recommended along with lifestyle modification for these patients. Further studies are recommended with a larger sample size.