Effects of an Iranian traditional fermented food consumption on blood glucose, blood pressure, and lipid profile in type 2 diabetes: a randomized controlled clinical trial

Background Ash-Kardeh is one of the few fermented foods without a dairy base in Iran, which is traditionally prepared from cereals and plants in the presence of microorganisms (mainly lactic acid bacteria). Purpose This study aimed to assess the effects of Ash-Kardeh consumption on blood glucose, lipid profile, and blood pressure in type 2 diabetic patients. Methods Forty-six patients with type 2 diabetes were studied in this randomized controlled clinical trial. Subjects were randomly allocated into intervention ( n = 23) and control ( n = 23) groups. Individuals of both groups received the usual treatment of diabetic patients, while those in the intervention group, in addition to the usual treatment, received 250 g of Ash-Kardeh daily for 6 weeks. Fasting blood glucose, blood pressure, and lipid profiles were measured before and after the intervention. Results Compared to the control group, Ash-Kardeh consumption led to a significant decrease in fasting blood glucose ( P = 0.003), total cholesterol ( P = 0.025), triglyceride ( P = 0.003), systolic ( P < 0.001), and diastolic blood pressure ( P = 0.014) in the intervention group. Also, a significant increase in the concentrations of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( P = 0.048) was observed after Ash-Kardeh consumption. Conclusion It seems that Ash-Kardeh consumption could improve high blood glucose, lipid profile, and hypertension in type 2 diabetic patients but does not affect low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations. This study was registered on 2019-09-15 in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials ( www.irct.ir ) with the code number IRCT20170202032367N3 .