Nutritional Deficits and Their Compensation Using Supplements and Traditional Compounds in Patients with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we aimed to first assess the nutritional status and deficiency of nutrients in patients suffering juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and then to examine how diets and nutritional supplements affect JIA-related clinical condition. Article databases including Medline, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Cochrane were searched by two researchers blinded to each other for all eligible studies based on the considered keywords. Data analysis was done using Comprehensive Meta Analysis software. Twenty-eight articles were obtained and finally assessed. The decrease in some mineral elements, especially zinc, iron, lead, magnesium, calcium, and thiamine, was highlighted in these patients. Among vitamins, deficiency of vitamins D, A, E, and B6 has been reported. Our study showed a pooled prevalence of 35.2% and 37.6% in vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency in JIA patients, respectively. Our analyses also showed a pooled prevalence of 20.0% for overweight and 16.0% for obesity. Using vitamin supplement can significantly improve serum vitamin D level as well as bone mineral density, but may not affect the disease severity. Due to anti-inflammatory and antioxidant components of herbal compounds, including turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon, the use of these compounds can significantly improve JIA clinical condition. Despite the significant prevalence of overweight and obesity among JIA patients, these people suffer from a lack of essential elements and vitamins. By using nutritional supplements and traditional diets, it will be possible to compensate for these deficiencies and also improve clinical condition in these patients.