Supplementation with Rich-Polyphenolsolive Tree Powder Improves Fasting Blood Glucose and Insulin Resistance in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A 14-Weeks Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

Despite the fact that olive tree extracts have been used for long time as antidiabetics in Mediterranean folk medicine, there are few studies providing support to this view. To assess the effect of rich-polyphenols olive extract on glucose metabolism and insulin resistance, a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial was conducted on human subjects with type 2 diabetes.80 T2DM patients were randomized to receive 3 g of olive tree powder or placebo during 14 weeks. changes from baseline in glucose metabolism, insulin resistance, and lipid profile were determined and compared between groups. The lipid profile levels of treated group have been decreased significantly (pless than 0.0001 vs. placebo group), while the value of HDL-cholesterol raises to 51.5 9.4 mg/dL (p= 0.007 vs. placebo). The administration of rich-polyphenols olive tree powder resulted in a significant reduction (vs. placebo) in HbA1c (pless than 0.0001), fasting glucose (pless than 0.0001), and insulin resistance (p= 0.0002). The average value of fasting glucose of the treated group was under the normal level defined by the American Diabetic Association (114.2 15.2 mg/dL) by the end of the 14 weeks. Supplementation with olive tree extract was associated to a net improvement in fasting plasma glucose, insulin resistance, and lipid profile in subjects with T2DM, suggesting its potential therapeutic effect as an antidiabetic.