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Adipokines, Inflammation, and Metabolic Diseases · Review
Nutrients · September 7, 2026
Well-designed and adequately powered for the question it asks.
This network meta-analysis of 60 RCTs identified biomarker-specific effects of nutritional supplements on inflammatory markers in overweight and obese adults. Synbiotics, probiotics combined with omega-3, green tea extract, and curcumin showed significant reductions in IL-6, TNF-α, or CRP; no supplement reduced leptin. The evidence is robust but applies to surrogate endpoints, and heterogeneity in dose, duration, and participant characteristics limits clinical generalizability.
Systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Adults with overweight or obesity from 60 randomized controlled trials. Intervention: 14 supplementation strategies including green tea extract, curcumin, synbiotics, probiotics combined with omega-3, zinc, and others. Compared with: Network comparison across 14 strategies; no single control arm specified.
Green tea extract reduced IL-6 by MD = −2.57 (95% CI [−3.99, −1.15]) Curcumin reduced IL-6 by MD = −1.75 (95% CI [−2.74, −0.76]) Synbiotics reduced TNF-α by MD = −12.25 (95% CI [−16.7, −7.8])
Results are based on surrogate inflammatory biomarkers, not clinical outcomes (e.g., cardiovascular events, weight loss, mortality)
Clinicians should recognize that while these supplements show statistical effects on inflammatory biomarkers, the clinical significance of biomarker changes is uncertain and no supplement improved all markers tested. Further trials assessing clinical outcomes, standardized dosing, and duration are needed before recommending these interventions in routine obesity management.
Systematic review and network meta-analysis of 60 RCTs with prespecified methodology, confidence assessment, and consistent directness to inflammatory biomarkers in the target population, though based on surrogate endpoints rather than clinical outcomes.
As stated by the source record.
Quoted from the source exactly as published.
Clinicians should recognize that while these supplements show statistical effects on inflammatory biomarkers, the clinical significance of biomarker changes is uncertain and no supplement improved all markers tested. Further trials assessing clinical outcomes, standardized dosing, and duration are needed before recommending these interventions in routine obesity management.
Graded across the dimensions that decide whether you should act, each from what the source actually supports. There is no single score, and where a dimension was not assessed it says so.
Background/Objectives: Obesity is frequently associated with chronic low-grade inflammation, which contributes to metabolic dysfunction. However, the comparative effects of nutritional supplements on inflammatory biomarkers in adults with overweight or obesity remain unclear. To address this gap, this paper presents a systematic review and network meta-analysis comparing 14 supplementation strategies for their effects on inflammatory biomarkers in this population. Methods: PubMed, Embase, EBSCO, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were searched for randomized controlled trials published between January 2000 and January 2026. A frequentist random-effects network meta-analysis was conducted. Effects were reported as mean differences (MDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and interventions were ranked using the surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA). The confidence in network estimates was assessed using the Confidence in Network Meta-Analysis (CINeMA) framework. Results: A total of 60 randomized controlled trials were included. Green tea extract (MD = −2.57, 95% CI [−3.99, −1.15]) and curcumin (MD = −1.75, 95% CI [−2.74, −0.76]) both significantly reduced IL-6 levels. Synbiotics (MD = −12.25, 95% CI [−16.7, −7.8]), curcumin (MD = −2.59, 95% CI [−3.83, −1.35]) and probiotics combined with omega-3 (MD = −6.19, 95% CI [−9.12, −3.26]) had a favorable effect on TNF-α. Probiotics combined with omega-3 (MD = −1.74, 95% CI [−3.03, −0.46]), synbiotics (MD = −1.19, 95% CI [−1.85, −0.53]), zinc (MD = −1.18, 95% CI [−2.24, −0.11]), and curcumin (MD = −1.11, 95% CI [−2.14, −0.07]) all reduced CRP levels. Synbiotics (MD = 15.37, 95% CI [12.13, 18.61]) increased adiponectin levels. In contrast, no nutritional supplement significantly reduced leptin levels. Exploratory meta-regression suggested that age, exercise co-interventions, and the proportion of male participants may partly explain heterogeneity in selected outcomes. Conclusions: Nutritional supplements showed biomarker-specific effects. Probiotics combined with omega-3 fatty acids, synbiotics, green tea extract, and curcumin may improve selected inflammatory biomarkers. However, differences in supplement dose, intervention duration, and participant characteristics warrant cautious interpretation and call for further high-quality trials.
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