Effect of a polynutraceutical juice (Indian gooseberry, ginger and curry leaves) as an adjunct to oral antidiabetic drugs on fasting blood glucose in type 2 diabetes: A randomized controlled trial

Background Diabetes is an escalating global health priority, significantly impacting low- and middle-income countries like India. Aim To evaluate the effectiveness of a polynutraceutical juice comprising Indian gooseberry–ginger–curry leaves on fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods A 1-month open-label randomized controlled trial was conducted among 120 adults with T2DM attending a non-communicable disease clinic in Puducherry, India. Participants were randomly allocated to receive either the polynutraceutical juice plus standard oral antidiabetic drugs (OADs) (n = 60) or OADs alone (n = 60). FBG was measured at baseline and after 4 weeks. Within-group changes were analysed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, between-group differences using Bonferroni-adjusted comparisons, and a post hoc analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was performed to adjust for baseline FBG, age and gender. Summary Of the 120 randomized participants, 112 completed the study. The experimental group (n = 55) showed a significant reduction in FBG (mean decrease: 20.3 mg/dL; p < 0.001), whereas the control group (n = 57) showed no significant change (mean decrease: 4.7 mg/dL; p = 0.068). Between-group analysis demonstrated a significant advantage for the intervention (Bonferroni correction p = 0.012). However, after adjustment for baseline FBG, age and gender, the treatment effect was attenuated and did not reach conventional statistical significance (ANCOVA p = 0.060), although clinically meaningful reductions in FBG were observed. The polynutraceutical juice may provide clinically meaningful short-term improvements in FBG when used alongside standard OAD therapy. Larger placebo-controlled trials with longer follow-up are needed to confirm these findings.