A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Crossover Study to Evaluate Postprandial Glucometabolic Effects of Mulberry Leaf Extract, Vitamin D, Chromium, and Fiber in People with Type 2 Diabetes.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Randomized controlled crossover trial
PubMed 36855010 · doi:10.1007/s13300-023-01379-4
What was done
In a randomized, controlled, crossover trial conducted across two centers (USA and Singapore), researchers tested the postprandial effects of a multi-ingredient blend in 30 Asian adults with type 2 diabetes (mean age 59 years, HbA1c 7.1%, BMI 26.5 kg/m²). Participants consumed a 350-kcal test breakfast (55.4 g carbohydrates) sprinkled with either a 2-g active blend (250 mg mulberry leaf extract with 12.5 mg 1-deoxynojirimycin, 1.75 g fiber, 0.75 µg vitamin D3, and 75 µg chromium) or a control blend containing fiber, vitamin D3, and chromium without mulberry leaf extract. Postprandial blood glucose, insulin, GLP-1, and GIP were measured over 3 hours to compare incremental area under the curve (iAUC) and maximum concentration (Cmax).
What was found
The blend containing mulberry leaf extract significantly reduced glucose iAUC at 1 hour (-20%, p < 0.0001), 2 hours (-17%, p = 0.0001), and 3 hours (-15%, p = 0.0032), as well as glucose Cmax (mean difference -0.8 mmol/L [95% CI: -1.2, -0.3], p = 0.0006). Insulin iAUC was significantly reduced at 1 hour (-24%, p = 0.0236), but not at 2 or 3 hours. GLP-1 showed no difference, while GIP iAUC and Cmax were significantly lower with the mulberry leaf extract blend.
Why it matters
Sprinkling mulberry leaf extract onto a meal provides an acute, non-pharmacological reduction in postprandial glucose excursions and early insulin demand in individuals with type 2 diabetes.
Limits
The study had a small sample size (n = 30) and only evaluated acute, single-meal postprandial responses over 3 hours, leaving long-term glycemic efficacy and sustainability unmeasured. The study population was restricted to adults of Asian origin with relatively well-controlled diabetes.
Cited by
- partial Taking wild mulberry leaf before a heavy meal blocks carbohydrate absorption from that meal by 40%.