Effect of Sumac Powder Supplementation on Anthropometric Indices: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials

Aims: Several clinical trials have examined the effect of sumac on anthropometric indices in recent years; however, the results have been inconsistent. The present investigation aims to examine the effect of sumac on body weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference (WC) using a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Methods: PubMed, Scopus, ISI Web of Sciences, and EMBASE databases were searched up to November 2020. Weighted mean differences (WMDs) were pooled using a random-effects model. Publication bias was assessed by Egger's and Begg's tests. Heterogeneity between studies was evaluated using the I2 statistic. Subgroup analyses were also run to find the source of heterogeneity. Results: Seven studies enroling 369 participants met the inclusion criteria for this meta-analysis. Our results indicated that sumac did not significantly affect the BMI (WMD: -0.18 kg/m2, 95% CI [-0.62, 0.26], Pvalue = .42, I2 = 0.0%), body weight (WMD: -0.95 kg, 95% CI [-3.24, 1.34], P-value = .41, I2 = 0.0%), and WC (WMD: -0.78 cm, 95% CI [-2.76, 1.20], P-value = .43, I2 = 0.0%). Conclusions: In general, the present meta-analysis showed that sumac has no significant effect on BMI, body weight, and WC. However, we still need more trials with longer intervention duration, higher doses, larger sample sizes, and studies in different countries to obtain a precise conclusion.