Angelica keiskei (ashitaba) as adjuvant therapy in the maintenance of blood glucose levels among patients with type II diabetes mellitus / The Health Sciences Journal

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION@#This study aimed to determine if using Angelica keiskei (ashitaba) tablets as adjuvant therapy to the usual medications for patients with type II diabetes mellitus would result in significant lowering of blood sugar.@*METHODS@#The antidiabetic effect of Angelica keiskei was evaluated in diabetic Filipino patients as an adjuvant treatment to antidiabetic medications through a randomized single-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. Patients recruited from select barangays in Quezon City and San Juan City were randomly assigned to either ashitaba or placebo group. The effect was measured by obtaining and comparing fasting blood sugar pre- and post-treatment.@*RESULTS@#There was no significant change in FBS from the baseline in the ashitaba (p = 0.174) and placebo (p = 0.128) groups after two weeks. There was a significant increase in the systolic BP of the ashitaba group (p= 0.014) but not in the placebo group. There were no significant changes in the diastolic BP of either group. @*CONCLUSION@#Dietary supplementation of 500 mg ashitaba capsules thrice daily for two weeks did not exhibit any glucose-lowering effects among type II diabetic patients maintained on oral anti-diabetic medications.