Across 3 studies, 2 reported beneficial effects on reduced blood cholesterol, with 1 showing moderate and 1 showing small effect sizes; 1 study was neutral. The most robust evidence comes from a meta-analysis (32 RCTs, 1491 participants) reporting a moderate beneficial effect on total cholesterol (SMD: -0.33; 95% CI: -0.62, -0.03). The median study duration was 168 days (about 24 weeks), suggesting effects may require sustained use. Populations studied were mixed, including healthy individuals and those with cardiometabolic conditions.
Caveats: Evidence base is small (only 3 studies) — conclusions should be considered preliminary. One meta-analysis showed high heterogeneity (I² = 86.9%), indicating inconsistent effects across trials. The only RCT (99 participants) found a neutral effect, contrasting with the meta-analytic benefit, and may reflect differences in population or dosing (320 mg/day in the RCT vs. unspecified in the meta-analysis).
total cholesterol (SMD: -0.33; 95% CI: -0.62, -0.03; I² = 86.9%)
The biomarkers analyzed included ... cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides, which were longitudinally compared between both groups.
The subgroup analysis test showed that there was a significant effect of ACN on triglyceride concentrations, total cholesterol, LDL-C and HDL-C concentrations in all subgroups of participants (with vs. without dyslipidemia at baseline) and intervention type (supplement/extract vs. food).