Effects of propolis consumption on blood pressure, lipid profile and glycemic parameters in adults: a GRADE-assessed systematic review and dose–response meta-analysis
What this study found
Propolis was associated with favorable changes in several cardiometabolic outcomes, especially triglycerides, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, fasting glucose, HbA1c, insulin, HOMA-IR, and systolic blood pressure. In the pooled analysis, TAG fell by WMD -10.44 mg/dl (95% CI -16.58, -4.31; P = 0.001), LDL-cholesterol by -9.31 mg/dl (95% CI -13.50, -5.12; P < 0.001), HDL-cholesterol increased by 2.03 mg/dl (95% CI 0.24, 3.83; P = 0.02), and SBP decreased by -2.24 mmHg (95% CI -4.08, -0.39; P = 0.01). There was no significant effect on total cholesterol or diastolic blood pressure. The authors…
- Study & population
- Systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials in adults with a range of health statuses, including healthy participants and patients with type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, NAFLD, chronic kidney disease, metabolic syndrome, PCOS, rheumatoid arthritis, obesity, and related conditions.
- Intervention
- Oral propolis was tested across the included randomized trials in capsules, tablets, pills, solutions, or drops.
- Key limitation
- Substantial heterogeneity was present for several outcomes, with I2 values often high, reflecting variability in propolis preparations, doses, populations, and study designs.
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Open PDFOriginal abstract
Abstract Propolis, as a by-product of honey production, has shown several beneficial effects on cardiovascular risks in past randomised controlled trials, although the findings are not conclusive. In this review, we intend to evaluate the effects of propolis consumption on cardiovascular risk factors by conducting a meta-analysis. The Web of Science, Medline and Scopus databases were comprehensively searched until September 2023. Eligible studies were identified by screening, and their data were extracted. Weighted mean differences with a 95 % CI for each outcome were estimated using the random-effects model. This meta-analysis revealed that propolis consumption led to a significant decrease in the levels of TAG (weighted mean differences (WMD): –10·44 mg/dl 95 % CI: –16·58, –4·31; P = 0·001), LDL-cholesterol (WMD: –9·31 mg/dl; 95 % CI: –13·50, –5·12 mg; P < 0·001), fasting blood glucose (WMD: –7·30 mg/dl; 95 % CI: –11·58, –3·02; P = 0·001), HbA1c (WMD: –0·32 %; 95 % CI: –0·60, –0·05; P = 0·01), insulin (WMD: –1·36 μU/ml; 95 % CI: –2·36, –0·36; P = 0·007), homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (WMD: –0·39; 95 % CI: –0·74, –0·03; P = 0·020) and systolic blood pressure (WMD: –2·24 mmHg 95 % CI: –4·08, –0·39; P = 0·010), compared with the control groups. Furthermore, propolis consumption had a significant increasing effect on HDL-cholesterol levels (WMD: 2·03 mg/dl; 95 % CI: 0·24, 3·83; P = 0·020). In contrast, the consumption of propolis had no significant effect on total cholesterol and diastolic blood pressure levels. This systematic review and dose–response meta-analysis suggested that propolis intake may be effective in cardiometabolic improvement in adults. Further, well-designed studies are required to confirm and elucidate all aspects of these findings.