The Medical Journal of Basrah University

Abstract

Background: People often seek care from multiple sources outside the formal traditional health care system. One of ‎these sources is the use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) including herbal medications. Diabetic ‎patients are found 1.6 times more likely to use CAM than non diabetic patients.‎
Aim: To investigate the effectiveness of cinnamon, fenugreek and their combination in type 2 diabetic patients not well ‎controlled by oral antidiabetic drugs.‎
Methodology: Fifty four diabetic patients who were on oral hypoglycemic drugs were randomly divided into 4 groups. ‎Group 1, 2, 3 and 4 were treated with bran, cinnamon (3 gm), fenugreek (15 gm), and the combination of fenugreek and ‎cinnamon. HbA1C and 2 h postprandial glucose (PPG) were measured at baseline and 40 days of treatment. Results: ‎HbA1C level and 2 h (PPG) were significantly declined from baseline with 40 days placebo treatment. Significant ‎reduction in HbA1C was noticed with 40 days cinnamon treatment (9.37 ± 2.1% to 8.76 ± 1.9%). This effect was ‎paralleled with reduction of 2 h-PPG from 291± 99 mg/100ml at baseline to 233 ± 61 mg/100ml after 40 days treatment. ‎The same changes in HbA1C and 2 h PPG were noticed with fenugreek and even more with the combination of ‎fenugreek and cinnamon.‎
Conclusions: daily supplementation with cinnamon, fenugreek or their combination to patients not achieving glycemic ‎control with oral antidiabetic medications and diet is effective in lowering HbA1C and 2 h PPG in type 2 diabetic ‎patients.‎