The role of L-Arginine in improvement of lipid profile, liver enzymes, and blood pressure: A systematic review of randomized control trial studies

Abstract

Background

L-arginine is an amino acid found in most protein-rich foods, such as fish, red meat, poultry, soy, whole grains, beans and dairy products. Thus, it helps the body in building proteins.

Objectives

To find the effect of L-arginine in the improvement of lipid profile, liver enzymes, and blood pressure using various study outcomes.

Materials and methods

We searched all the related studies that probed into the association between L-arginine and serum lipid levels, liver enzymes, and blood pressure on PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library database up to May 20, 2024. The quality of the included studies was evaluated using the Cochrane quality assessment tool for Randomized Control Trials (RCT). MeSH was used to harmonize the keywords throughout the search process. All the statistical analyses of this meta-analysis were performed using the STATA, version 15 software.

Results

A total of 17 studies were included in the final review, a total of 531 screened studies. L-arginine at a dose rate of ≥8.0 g/day significantly improved the lipid profile by reducing total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and triglycerides (TG) levels. Additionally, L-arginine at a dose rate of ≥8.0 g/day significantly reduced both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. However, L-arginine non-significantly reduced aspartate transferase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) at that dose. Finally, the results of random-effects meta-regression analyses examining the association between the dose of L-arginine and the effect size of various health indicators showed a non-significant effect. Conclusions: L-arginine potentially improved the lipid profile, blood pressure and liver enzymes among studied individuals worldwide.