Effects of Moringa Oleifera leaf extract on glycemic control and inflammation in metabolic syndrome: a randomized controlled trial

The present double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial aimed to evaluate the effects of Moringa oleifera (MO) extract, a natural source of polyphenols, on glycemic control and inflammatory markers in patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS). Totally 73 MetS diagnosed patients were randomly assigned to receive either 1000 mg of MO supplement (n = 37) or 1000 mg twice a day placebo (n = 36) for 8 weeks. Inflammatory and oxidative stress markers, blood pressure and glycemic indices were assessed at the beginning and at the end of the study. Also anthropometric indices, dietary intake and physical activity levels of participants were assessed in the beginning of the study. Our study revealed that MO supplementation had a significant effect on serum levels of Glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and insulin (P = 0.07 and p = 0.13, respectively). Interestingly, the MO group reduced high-sensitive reactive protein (hs-CRP) and malondialdehyde (MDA) after 8 weeks (P = 0.04 and P = 0.02 respectively) compared to the control group, we did not observe any significant effects on serum levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and interleukin 6 (IL-6) in patients who received MO after 8 weeks of intervention. Additionally, we have not found significant associations between weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and MO supplementation among patients with MetS. MO supplementation reduced HbA1c by 0.4% (P=0.02) and insulin by 1.2 μIU/mL (P=0.011), with no significant changes in body weight (mean difference: −0.5 kg, P=0.21). furthermore, in the MO group, systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased, but these effects weren’t significant. MO supplementation may serve as a complementary therapy for MetS patients, given its beneficial effects on both inflammatory markers and glycemic control.