Nutritional Profile and Impact of Fig Leaves Powder Supplementation on Selected Type 2 Diabetic Subjects of Calicut District

Abstract

Two hundred adult diabetic patients were selected and information pertaining to their personal, nutritional and medical history was collected in an attempt to find out their nutritional status. Biochemical parameters namely random blood sugar, post prandial blood glucose level and glycosylated haemoglobin level were estimated to find out the blood sugar level in the body. Forty mild diabetic women in the age group of 40-49 years who were under dietary management only were selected for the supplementation study. Twenty women (n1=20) were considered as the experimental group for whom 10 g of fig leaf powder was mixed in 100 ml of buttermilk and given for a period of one month. The remaining 20 (control group n = 20) were given nutrition education. The impact of the supplementation study was assessed by comparing the blood glucose level of experimental group and control group. It was observed that half of the patients were mild diabetic and the incidence of the disease was only a year ago. There was a significant decrease in the blood glucose level of the experimental group which proves the hypoglycaemic effect of fig leaves.