Study	Reason for exclusion
Abad Lacruz 1990	Randomized trial comparing enteral to parenteral nutrition; no untreated control group.
Adams 2011	Only a protein supplement was assessed (not a complete supplement).
Akoglu 2008	Randomized trial assessing folic acid.
Al Mardini 2006	Not randomized trial.
Alvarez 2004	BCAA solution compared to casein; no complete nutritional formula.
Andreone 2001	Randomized trial assessing vitamin E.
Awad 2010	Randomized trial comparing an Incomplete formulation immediately post op (for only 2 doses on days 0 and 1).
Badalamenti 1995	Randomized trial comparing fish oil to standard oil.
Baldermann 1988	Randomized trial comparing two parenteral formulations with different lipid constituents.
Barle 1997	Randomized trial in patients undergoing cholecystectomy (no liver disease) who only received 8 hours of parenteral nutrition; no clinical outcomes reported.
Bartels 2004	Randomized trial comparing vitamin E to placebo; no complete nutrient formulation.
Bernardi 1981	Review article.
Bianchi 1993	Randomized trial comparing animal to vegetable protein; no artificial nutrition formulation.
Bories 1994	Not randomized trial; no control group.
Brans 1987	Randomized trial comparing different doses of lipid.
Bresci 1993	Randomized trial comparing zinc to no zinc.
Buchmiller 1993	Randomized trial comparing two different parenteral nutrition formulations; no untreated control group.
Cabre 2000	Randomized trial comparing enteral nutrition to steroids in patients with alcoholic hepatitis; no untreated control group.
Campo 1997	Randomized trial comparing oral BCAAs to oral casein (no artificial nutrition); no clinical data.
Cao 2007	Randomized trial comparing growth hormone to no growth hormone; both groups received parenteral nutrition.
Cerra 1983	Randomized trial comparing BCAA solution to neomycin; both groups received parenteral nutrition.
Cerra 1985	Randomized trial comparing BCAA solution to neomycin; both groups received parenteral nutrition.
Cerwenka 1998	Randomized trial comparing antioxidants.
Chelarescu 2003	Randomized trial comparing enteral to parenteral nutrition.
Chin 1992	Randomized crossover trial comparing BCAA and standard amino acid solution.
Christie 1985	Randomized trial comparing BCAAs to casein; both arms received artifical nutrition.
Clarke 2004	Two different enteral nutrition formulas compared; no untreated group.
Conti 1971	Not randomized trial.
Cortez Pinto 1990	No indication that trial was randomized.
Cunha 2004	Uncontrolled observational study.
Córdoba	Comparison of branched‐chain amino acids versus maltodextrin added to meals; no nutrition support to either group.
Córdoba 2004	Randomized trial comparing low protein to standard protein diet.
De Antoni 1984	No evidence that trial was randomized.
de la Maza 1995	Randomized trial comparing vitamin E to placebo.
de Luis 2010	Randomized trial comparing two different diets in patients with fatty liver disease.
De‐Fang 2011	Both arms received enteral nutrition.
Di Cecco 1997	Randomized trial comparing BCAA solution to casein.
Diehl 1985	Controls received same intravenous infusion as treated group except no amino acids, so trial actually only compared the use of an infused amino acid formulation.
Dionigi 1984	Randomized trial comparing different amino acid solutions; all patients received parenteral nutrition.
Egberts 1981	Randomized trial comparing two different parenteral nutrition formulations; no untreated group.
Egberts 1985	Randomized trial comparing BCAAs to casein; neither treatment group received artificial nutrition.
Egberts 1988	Randomized trial of BCAA solution; no artificial nutrition provided.
Eriksson 1982	Randomized trial comparing BCAAs to placebo; neither treatment group received artificial nutrition.
Ferenci 1981	Randomized trial comparing BCAAs to keto acids; no artificial nutrition.
Fiaccadori 1984	Randomized trial BCAA vs lactulose; both arms received hypertonic glucose.
Fiaccadori 1988	Randomized trial oral BCAAs versus casein; neither group received artificial nutrition.
Freeman 1983	Randomized trial BCAA vs no BCAA; neither treatment group received artificial nutrition.
Fukushima 2003	Nocturnal branched‐chain ingestion compared to daytime ingestion; no nutrition support program and no untreated control group.
Galloway 1987	Randomized trial comparing two different parenteral nutrition formulations; no untreated control group.
Gavazzl 1999	Not a controlled trial.
Glynn 1988	Randomized trial comparing lipid to no lipid; all patients received parenteral nutrition.
Grungreiff 1993	Randomized trial comparing BCAAs versus BCAAs and valine; no untreated control patients.
Grungreiff 2001	Randomized trial of l‐ornithine l‐aspartate for encephalopathy.
Guarnieri 1982	Randomized trial comparing BCAA‐rich amino acid solution to equicaloric glucose (1120 calories).
Guarnieri 1984	Supplements containing BCAAs compared to lactulose in patients with encephalopathy; no true untreated control group.
Habu 2003	BCAAs compared to no treatment; no artificial nutrition provided to any patients.
Habu 2009	Only branched‐chain amino acids assessed; no complete formulation employed.
Haji 2008	No clinical outcomes reported.
Hayaishi 2011	Retrospective study (not randomized).
Hayashi 2007	BCAAs with or without zinc compared; no artificial nutrition provided to any patients.
Herlong 1980	Randomized trial comparing BCAAs to ornithine salts of BCAAs; no artificial nutrition provided to either group.
Hernandez‐Guerra 2006	Trial compared ascorbic acid to no ascorbic acid; no artificial nutrition provided.
Holdsworth 1984	Different BCAA solutions in 10% dextrose compared to 10% dextrose in patients receiving enteral nutrition; no clinical data.
Holm 1981	Randomized trial comparing two different amino acid supplements; no artificial nutrition provided.
Holm 1984	Study in healthy people; no control group.
Holm 2000	No clinical data.
Horst 1984	Randomized trial comparing BCAA supplements to increasing protein intake; no true control group given 'standard' diet.
Huisman 2011	Most of the patients in the 'preventive' group only received dietary advice.
Hwang 1988	Randomized trial assessing BCAA solution with 10% dextrose, but only 500 cc provided daily; no group received artificial nutrition.
Ichida 1995	Not randomized trial.
Ikegami 2012	Not a randomized trial.
Ilan 2000	Trial compared different diets; no artificial nutrition provided.
Itou 2009	Not randomized trial.
Itou 2011	Supplements only provided on evening before procedure.
Jentschura 1996	Not randomized trial.
Jiang 2001	Randomized trial comparing standard to specialized.
Jiang 2007	Two parenteral nutrition formulations compared; no true control group.
Jonung 1987	Trial compared animal to vegetable protein; no artificial nutrition provided to either group.
Kaido 2010	Not randomized trial.
Kakumitsu 1998	Randomized trial comparing arginine infusion to no arginine infusion; no artificial nutrition provided.
Kanematsu 1988	Randomized trial comparing BCAA‐based to standard amino acid‐based parenteral nutrition; no untreated control group.
Katsumi 2005	Three different supplements compared; no untreated control group.
Kawaguchi 2008	Trial only assessed one dose of supplement prior to endoscopy.
Kawamura 2009	BCAAs compared to no amino acids; no artificial nutrition provided to either group.
Keshavarzian 1984	Trial comparing two different protein diets; no artificial nutrition provided to either group.
Kircheis 1997	Trial comparing l‐ornithine l‐aspartate to no such treatment; no artificial nutrition provided to either group.
Kobayashi 2008	BCAA granules compared to no treatment; no artificial nutrition provided to either group.
Krasnoff 2006	Randomized trial of dietary counseling and exercise; no artificial nutrition provided to any patients.
Kuroda 2010	Trial not randomized; patients chose the group into which they were placed.
Kuse 1990	Randomized trial of the use of different lipids in patients receiving parenteral nutrition; no untreated control group.
Kuse 2002	Randomized trial comparing two different parenteral nutrition formulations; no untreated control group.
Labadie 1994	Randomized trial comparing zinc to no zinc; no artificial nutrition provided to either group.
LaTerre 2007	Parenteral nutrition compared to enteral nutrition; no untreated control group.
Leon 2009	Editorial commentary.
Les 2011	Randomized trial comparing BCAA compound to maltodextrin; supplement incomplete.
Luntz 2005	Randomized trial comparing glycine to no glycine after liver transplantation.
Mager 2006	Trial comparing different doses of BCAAs.
Makay 2007	Randomized trial comparing early to delayed parenteral nutrition; no untreated control group.
Malaguarnera 2009	All patients received branched chain amino acids, but no calories (no artificial nutrition); patients randomized to receiving or not receiving l‐acetycarnitine.
Mangiante 2002	Randomized trial comparing parenteral to enteral nutrition.
Manguso 2005	Randomized trial comparing two different diets; no artificial nutrition provided to any patients.
Marchesini 1980	Not randomized trial.
Marchesini 1990	Trial comparing BCAA to protein; no artificial nutrition provided to either group.
Marchesini 2003	Randomized trial comparing BCAAs to placebo; no artificial nutrition provided to either group.
Marchini 1983	Randomized trial comparing two different intragastric formulations to controls who received solid food; the patients were chronic alcoholics, but most of them did not have liver disease.
Marra 1998	Randomized trial comparing two different fatty acids.
McGhee 1983	Randomized trial comparing two different supplements; no untreated control group.
Mendenhall 1985	Not randomized trial.
Mendenhall 1993	Randomized trial comparing supplement plus oxandrolone to placebo; treated group received more than just supplements.
Mezey 1991	Controls received same intravenous infusion as treated group except no amino acids, so trial actually only compared the use of an infused amino acid formulation.
Michel 1985	Randomized trial comparing two different parenteral nutrition formulations; no untreated control group.
Mochizuki 2000	Retrospective study.
Moreno 2010	Both groups received enteral nutrition; variable changed was receipt or non‐receipt of n‐acetycysteine.
Morioka 1983	No clinical data; unclear if randomized or not.
Muto 1984	Randomized trial comparing BCAA supplements; no artificial nutrition provided.
Muto 1991	Trial compared BCAAs to diet; no artificial nutrition provided to either group.
Muto 2005	Randomized trial assessing BCAAs alone; neither group received artificial nutrition.
Nagayama 1989	Randomized trial comparing lipid‐based to carbohydrate‐based parenteral nutrition; no untreated control group.
Nasrallah 1980	Randomized trial comparing solution containing amino acids and other nutrients to a solultion containing the other nutrients (only compared amino acid solution).
Ndraha 2011	Randomized trial comparing l‐ornithine l‐aspartate to no treatment in patients with hepatic encephalopathy.
Nickkholgh 2007	Although trial only in protocol stage, is ineligible because both arms received oral supplements; no true control group.
Nielsen 1995	Uncontrolled study.
Nishiguchi 2004	Randomized trial BCAA granules versus no granules; no artificial nutrition provided to patients.
Nishizaki 1996	Patients in both arms received intravenous amino acids.
Nordenstrom 1995	Two different lipid formulations compared; no clinical outcomes.
O'Keefe 1987	Trial compared enteral and parenteral nutrition; no untreated control group.
Okabayashi 2008	Not randomized; retrospective analysis.
Okabayashi 2010	Patients in both arms received parenteral nutrition postoperatively.
Okita 1985	Comparison of different diets; no artificial nutrition provided; non‐randomized crossover randomized.
Okuno 1985	Trial comparing two different parenteral nutrition formulations; no untreated group.
Olde Damink 2007	Trial comparing isoleucine to no isoleucine; artificial nutrition not provided to either group.
Panella 1987	BCAA compared to casein; no artificial nutrition provided to either group.
Pierrugus	Some control patients received parenteral nutrition.
Plank 2005	Not randomized.
Plank 2008	Randomized trial comparing daytime to nocturnal supplements; no untreated control group.
Plauth 1993	Randomized crossover trial assessing BCAAs only; no artificial nutrition provided.
Protheroe 1996	Two different feeding formulations compared.
Puglionisi 1984	Only branched chain amino acids infused (no nutrition support program).
Rakette 1981	No evidence that trial randomized.
Rayes 2005	Trial comparing different formulations; all patients received enteral nutrition.
Riederer 1980	No clinical data provided; unclear if trial randomized.
Rifai 2006	All patients received parenteral nutrition; randomization to bile acid or not.
Riggio 1984	Trial comparing BCAAs to lactulose; no artificial nutrition provided.
Rocchi 1985	Trial comparing two different amino acid formulations; all patients received hypertonic glucose.
Rossi Fanelli 1986	BCAA‐based parenteral nutrition compared to lactulose; no untreated control group.
Sakaida 2004	Randomized trial of two different BCAA‐based supplements; no untreated control group.
Sato 2005	Randomized trial comparing Aminoleben® to BCAAs alone; no untreated control arm.
Schafer 1981	Randomized trial comparing BCAA to other diets; no artificial nutrition provided.
Shirabe 1997	Trial comparing enteral to parenteral nutrition; no untreated control group.
Shirabe 2011	Not randomized trial, but retrospective study.
Sieg 1983	Crossover trial BCAAs versus placebo; no artificial nutrition provided to patients.
Soriano	No nutrition support; all patients received branched‐chain amino acids and randomized to exercise or no exercise.
Strauss 1986	BCAA‐based parenteral nutrition compared to neomycin; no untreated control group.
Striebel 1979	No evidence that trial randomized.
Sugawara 2011	Not randomized trial.
Suzuki 2004	Review article.
Swart 1981	Randomized trial comparing different amino acid preparations; no artificial nutrition provided.
Swart 1989	Randomized crossover trial of three meals versus 4 to6 meals; no artificial nutrition provided.
Tai 2011	Enteral nutrition compared to group that received supplements; no true control group.
Tang 2007	Trial assessing glutamine and/or growth hormone; all patients received parenteral nutrition.
Tayek	Trial identified on Clionical Trials.gov; is in process, but is only assessing utility of arginine.
Togo 2005	Randomized trial of BCAAs versus no BCAAs; no artificial nutrition provided.
Tomiya 2002	Trial comparing BCAAs to increased protein in diet; no artificial nutrition provided and no clinical data.
Tschepe 1985	Randomized crossover trial of BCAAs versus protein; no artificial nutrition provided.
Tsuchiya 2007	Trial comparing BCAAs with diet compared to equicaloric/equinitrogenous diet; no artificial nutrition provided and trial may not have been randomized.
Uribe 1982	Crossover trial comparing animal and vegetable protein; no artificial nutrition provided.
Valdivieso 1989	BCAA‐based versus standard amino acid‐based parenteral nutrition; no untreated control group and no clinical outcomes reported.
Vilar‐Gomez 2009	Randomized trial comparing 'supplement' containing amino acids, vitamins, and minerals to no supplement; supplement was not complete.
Vilstrup 1990	BCAA‐based parenteral nutrition compared to hypertonic glucose; no untreated control group.
Wahren 1983	Randomized trial comparing BCAAs to glucose; all patients received intravenous glucose and lipid, so no true untreated control group.
Walker 1982	Randomized crossover trial comparing keto‐analogs of BCAAs versus placebo; no artificial nutrition provided.
Wang 2011	Two different parenteral nutrition formulations compared; no untreated control group.
Watanabe 1983	Non‐randomized crossover trial.
Watanabe 1995	Trial comparing different forms of rice; no artificial nutrition provided.
Weber 1990	Trial comparing two different amino acid solutions; unclear if randomized and no clinical outcomes reported.
Wicks 1994	Trial comparing enteral to parenteral nutrition; all patients received artificial nutrition.
Yamamoto 2005	Trial comparing BCAAs to placebo; no artificial nutrition provided.
Yamana‐Okumuru 2010	Randomized trial comparing an additional amount of food at night to no treatment.
Yang 2011	Randomized trial comparing two different parenteral nutrition formulations; no untreated control group.
Yoshiji 2011	Only branched‐chain amino acids were assessed; no complete nutritional formulation employed.
Yu 2007	Randomized trial comparing growth hormone to no growth hormone; all patients received artificial nutrition.
Zhang 2003	Two different amino acid preparations compared; no clinical outcomes reported.
Zhang 2005	Randomized trial comparing enteral to parenteral nutrition.
Zheng EN	Some of the enteral nutrition patients received parenteral nutrition.
Zhuang 2003	Randomized trial comparing growth hormone to no growth hormone; all patients received parenteral nutrition.

BCAA = branched chain amino acid