Abstract
Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM), and more specifically type 2 DM (T2DM), is a growing metabolic disease and is accompanied by changes in lipid profile and glycemic parameters which contribute to debilitating complications. Nettle and European blueberry as complementary herbal medicine could play a significant role in managing elevated levels of blood sugar and diabetic complications. The goal of this study was to determine the effects of nettle and European blueberry combination as adjunct therapy in patients with T2DM. Methods: The randomized double-blind clinical trial included 59 T2D patients with a mean age of 57.9 years. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups to take either nettle-bilberry capsules (500/mg/dose twice a day, n=29) or a placebo (n=30) for three months. Fasting blood samples were obtained at the beginning and after the intervention to quantify 15 items, including lipid profile and glycemic factors. Results: Sixty patients were enrolled in this study. The groups had no significant difference regarding the demographics and the study variables at the baseline. Compared with the placebo, the nettle-bilberry combination resulted in significant decreases in fasting blood sugar (FBS), triglyceride, cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels (P<0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in the other indices, including glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), urea, creatinine, high-density lipoproteins, liver function tests (LFTs), C-reactive protein (CRP), insulin, and insulin resistance (HOMAIR) levels (P>0.05). Conclusion: Overall, a combination of nettle and bilberry had beneficial impacts on the levels of FBS, cholesterol, and LDL. However, this combination had no significant effects on the other glycemic factors and lipid profile indicators. Trial Registration: This study was a double-blind randomized controlled trial study that was registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT: IRCT20140617018126N3). In addition, approval was obtained from the Ethics Committee of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences (Ethics code: IR.TBZMED.REC.1399.093).
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