Effect of low caloric diet supplemented by fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) seeds or black cumin (Nigella sativa) seeds and its mixture on obese adult female patients

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Home Economics, Division of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Faculty of Specific Education, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt

2 Faculty of Medicine, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

The present work was carried out to study the effect of low caloric diet supplemented with fennel seeds or black cumin seeds and their mixture on obese adult females.  The control group (G1) used low caloric diet with 1000 kcal without supplementation, while groups (2 and 3) used low caloric diet supplemented with 5 g black cumin and 5g fennel seeds seeds, respectively. On the other hand, group (4) used low caloric diet supplemented a mixture of 2.5 g fennel seeds and 2.5g black cumin seeds. All supplementation were mixed with a cup of light yoghurt in dinner meal. The study was performed for 4 weeks. Anthropometric measurements and levels of serum triglyceride, cholesterol, LDL and HDL were taken pre  and post the study. Females taken low caloric diet supplemented with black cumin (G2) or mixture of black cumin and fennel (G4) recorded significant decrease in their BMI when compared to the control group. Cases supplemented with Fennel (G3) recorded insignificant decrease in their BMI. The total cholesterol decreased significantly in groups (2 and 4), while it was decreased insignificantly in group (3) compared to the control group. HDL levels increased significantly in groups (2 & 4) compared to group (1).
Results of the present study indicated that significant decrease were in total body weight, BMI, WC, AC, TSF and AMC in group (2) which received black cumin seeds, followed by group (4) which received mixture of black cumin seeds and fennel seeds, followed by group (3) which received fennel seeds compared to the control group.
 

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