Moringa oleifera Leaf Supplementation as a Glycemic Control Strategy in Subjects with Prediabetes

Study answer

What this study found

MO leaf powder supplementation for 12 weeks improved glycemic control in prediabetes vs placebo. Fasting blood glucose declined in MO and rose in placebo; HbA1c declined in MO and rose in placebo; the rate of change differed significantly between groups (treatment × visit). Insulin rose in both groups; no significant between-group differences in insulin change or HOMA-IR. About 58% of MO participants showed HbA1c improvement vs 38% in placebo. No meaningful changes in gut microbiota, hepatic or renal function markers, or appetite hormones. Authors conclude MO may act as a natural…

Study & population

Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group clinical trial in adults aged 40-70 with prediabetes (ADA criteria: HbA1c 5.7-6.4% or fasting glucose 100-125 mg/dL or 2-h glucose 140-199 mg/dL) who had never used drugs for glycemic control.

Intervention

MO leaf powder, 400 mg per capsule; 6 capsules per day (total 2400 mg/day); taken before each main meal (before breakfast, lunch, and dinner); duration 12 weeks.

Key limitation

Small sample size with high inter-individual variability leading to limited statistical power for some outcomes; 12-week duration may be insufficient to capture long-term effects; baseline HbA1c was near-normal, which may limit magnitude of detectable effects; exploratory analyses identifying predictors of HbA1c…

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Original abstract