[Effect of sour tea [Hibiscus sabdariffa] on blood glucose, lipid profile and lipoproteins in diabetics]

ABSTRACT

Hibiscus Sabdariffa is widely cultivated in tropical areas and its red persistent calyx is the major component possessing a sour taste that is used in beverages and food colorants. As a traditional medicine, it is claimed to be effective against kidney stones and urinary bladder stones, and is also used for its antibacterial, antifungal, hypocholesterolemic, antispasmodic and antihypertensive actions. We conducted this study to evaluate the effects of sour tea on blood sugar, lipids and lipoproteins. This sequential double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted on 60 diabetic patients in the Yazd Diabetic Research Center. Patients were assigned randomly into two groups, the sour tea [ST] and the ordinary tea [OT] group. Sachets containing one spoonful of sour or ordinary tea were given to the patients, based on random numbers. They were instructed to consume one glass of boiled water, boiled for 20-30 min, 2 times daily between their meals in the morning and afternoon, for 30 days. Fasting blood samples were taken at the beginning and at the end of the study for measuring blood glucose, hemoglobin A1C, total cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C, triglycerides, Apo AI, Apo B100 and Lp[a]. Data were analyzed using the SPSS statistical package. A total 60 patients were recruited, 53 of whom completed the study [27 in ST and 26 in OT]. Except for Lp[a] and Apo AI, means of all lipids and lipoproteins at the beginning, were significantly decreased or increased [HDL-C] compared with the related means at of the end of the study in the sourtea [ST] group however, only the mean for HDL-C was significantly increased [approximately 16.7%] at the end of intervention in in the ordinary tea [OT] group. The mean for fasting blood glucose at the end of study did not differ significantly with the initial mean in both groups. In contrast, the mean of hemoglobin A1C was significantly decreased in the ST group. The results showed that sour tea has significant effects on blood lipid profiles in diabetic patients however, it did not have significant effects on blood glucose or hemoglobin A1C. Drinking sour tea can be recommended for diabetic patients