The pain among obese or overweight knee OA female patients reduces with the garlic supplementation for 12 weeks, recent research of the Journal, Phytomedicine. Persistent and disabling pain is a significant part of the prevalent degenerative joint disorder, osteoarthritis (OA). The enzymes like resistin, tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and adipocytokines might have a significant role in OA pathogenesis and results.

Researchers conducted a double-blind, randomized, parallel-design, and placebo-controlled study to evaluate the analgesic and anti-inflammatory impact on serum TNF-α and resistin concentrations and pain severity using garlic supplementation among 80 post-menopausal obese or overweight knee OA females. These females were randomized into two groups, one obtained garlic tablets and others received placebo for 12 weeks. The pain severity measured by 0–10 points visual analogue scale (VAS) and fasting serum concentrations of TNF-α & resistin were taken as primary outcome measures.

The garlic group exhibited considerably reduced resistin concentrations at week 12 than the placebo group. However, no notable change was noticed in the TNF-α serum levels between the groups. Further, VAS scores reduced among the females of garlic group instead of the placebo group. The findings of the analysis suggest that garlic supplementation for 12 weeks is effective in reducing pain but the distinctive effects of individual garlic components on metabolic and physical complications of OA is need to be addressed in future studies.