Khat (Catha edulis) and metabolic syndrome: A Systematic review

Khat (Catha edulis) is a psychostimulant herb grown in East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, mainly in Yemen, Ethiopia, Somalia, Madagascar and Kenya. Given that the use of khat has transcended its traditional geographical locations, owed to factors such as migration and enhanced accessibility there is enhanced need to understand health implications of the substance especially regarding non-communicable diseases (NCDs), whose prevalence is increasing globally. The relationship between khat and metabolic health is hard to understand because different studies undertaken in the previous years are diverse in study designs, sample population and methods. Because there is variation in khat chewing with regard to frequency, amount, and regional differences in cathinone content, it is hard to make generalizations. Moreover, the specific roles of khat in the development of Metabolic syndrome (MetS) are likely to be masked by several interfering effects that arise from the interaction of khat with different risks behaviors including alcohol and tobacco smoking which co-exist with khat intake. This review aimed to evaluate the data on how khat affects components of MetS, particularly, body weight, obesity, lipid profile changes and hypertension.