Background: Medical nutrition therapy serves as an essential component in the comprehensive treatment of type 2 Diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The antidiabetic properties of Artocarpus heterophyllus (jackfruit) have been documented in multiple studies. This clinical trial aims to evaluate the impact of partially substituting the regular diet with unripe jackfruit-based recipes on glycemic control and cardiovascular risk factors in patients with poorly controlled T2DM. Methods: This randomized controlled study was conducted at the outpatient department (OPD) of Medical College, Alappuzha, India. A total of 100 T2DM patients were randomly assigned to the treatment and control groups. The treatment group received a jackfruit-based diet (JFD), while the control group maintained their routine breakfast. Data on glycemic parameters (fasting plasma glucose (FPG), postprandial plasma glucose (PPPG), and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)) and cardiovascular risk factors (blood pressure (BP) and lipid profile) between the groups were collected on days 22 and 91 for comparative analysis. Results: After 90 days, the treatment group showed a statistically significant reduction in mean FPG (176.1−117.42 vs. 173.66−158.8 in the control group) and PPPG (235.65−156.58 vs. 264.02−239.42 in the control group) with a between-group p < 0.001. Additionally, the treatment group exhibited a mean HbA1c reduction of 1.57%. Significant reductions were also observed in systolic and diastolic BP and the levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in the treatment group compared to the control group. Discussion: Partial dietary substitution with unripe jackfruit flour produced significant improvements in glycemic indices and cardiovascular risk markers compared with routine breakfast intake. The metabolic benefits likely stem from its low-glycemic, high-fiber composition and slowly available glucose fraction, which reduce postprandial excursions and enhance insulin sensitivity. These results align with prior clinical trials demonstrating glycemic improvement with jackfruit-based dietary interventions. Overall, unripe jackfruit flour represents a simple, culturally acceptable adjunct to standard nutrition therapy in type 2 diabetes. Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that incorporating unripe jackfruit flour into the diet may improve glycemic control by reducing FPG, PPPG, and HbA1c.
Balasundaram et al. (Tue,) studied this question.