| Sumario: | Background Diabetes is one of the main health problems that affects large portions of the world's population. Traditional herbal medicines have been used for thousands of years as an effective way to manage diabetes. Evidence show that Pistacia atlantica is a rich source of alpha-glucosidase which have been shown to normalise blood sugar balance. Method The study was designed as a double-blind placebo-controlled randomised clinical trial (RCT) using a parallel design. Ninetyfour patients referred to the diabetes clinic of Sulaymaniyah city with diagnosis of type 2 diabetes (T2D) were randomly assigned in two groups: P. atlantica and placebo. Patients received P. atlantica extract or placebo 10cc twice daily for 3 months. A diabetic diet was applied for both groups. Data were collected by demographic questionnaire, health history form, and laboratory assessment of blood sugar. Independent t-test, paired t-test, and repeated measures analysis of variance were used to analyse the data. Results There was a significant reduction in fasting blood glucose in the experimental group compared to the control group at 3 months (50±45.89 verses 10±35.5, p<0.001). The mean of HbA1c after intervention was 5.8±1.0. Patients with higher body mass index (BMI) showed more significant decrease compared to those with normal BMI (p<0.001). Conclusion P. atlantica is a natural product of the Kurdistan region of Iraq. This RCT demonstrates its role in the management of blood glucose concentration in patients with T2D at 3 months.
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