BACKGROUND: Momordica charantia is widely used in the traditional medicine to manage patients with type 2 Diabetes Mellitus(DM).
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of Taste Good biscuits (TGB) on blood glucose levels in patients with type 2 DM using CGMS.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was an open label, controlled, non-randomized, prospective study. Total duration of study was for 14 days, 1-7 days of control period without TGB and 8-14 days of active period with TGB. During the control period regular antidiabetic treatment was continued, however during the active period, two TGB were consumed at 11am and at 4pm along with their regular anti diabetic treatment. Continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS) was used to detect the fluctuations in the blood glucose levels during the entire study period.
RESULTS: 62 type 2 DM patients participated in the study, 3 were lost to follow up. 39 were males and 20 females. There was statistically significant reduction in the mean glucose values during the active period with TGB as compared to the control period without TGB (p< 0.001). The glucose variability between the minimum and maximum glucose during the control period was statistically significantly more as compared to active period ( p <0.01). The glucose levels were in the target range of (80-140mg/dl) during the active period as compared to the control period (p< 0.001). However, the glucose levels were above the target range during the control period as compared to the active period (p < 0.001).
CONCLUSION: TGB reduced the glucose variability in patients with type 2DM, hence TGB can be used as an adjuvant with regular antidiabetic medications.