| Purpose: The aim of present study was to review and categorize the clinical trials investigating the clinical effects
of different botanical parts of dates compared with any controls.
Methods: All clinical trials (randomized, pilot, quasi-experimental, cross-over. and non-randomized clinical
trials) evaluating the clinical effects of date palm from 2000 until August 2019 in English and Persian languages
were included in this systematic review. The methodological quality of the included studies was evaluated
according to the risk of bias assessment of Cochrane handbook of systematic reviews, and then reported using
Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement.
Results: Twenty-six studies met the inclusion criteria. Studies were performed in 8 categories based on different
botanical parts of date palm. These categories were obstetrics, gynecology, oncology, dermatology, hematology,
gastroenterology, endocrinology, metabolism, and infertility. A total of 38 % of included studies were randomized controlled trials. Further, 80 % of the included studies had performance and detection bias. Finally, about
50 % of them had selection bias and about 20 % had attrition and reporting bias.
Conclusion: The widespread consumption of date palm as medicinal and botanical plant suggests the importance
of this plant in human healthcare. The clinical trials conducted so far have explained a number of clinical effects
of date palm. However, there is not enough clinical evidence to support the clinical effects in other review
articles and traditional medical systems, and further randomized controlled trials with robust designs and
methods are required. |