Research on use of food supplements and herbal products and affecting factors in Type 2 diabetes

The aim of this study is to determine the usage and the affecting factors of food supplements and herbal products of adults aged between 18 and 65 years who were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes for outpatient and inpatient treatment in a private hospital setting in Izmir. To invastage this, a study was conducted on 162 type 2 diabetic adults (%46,9;76 males and (%53,1;86 females) aged between 18-65 years old. The mean age of the participants was 46.0±11.97 years. The mean BMI of the female participants was 27.6±3.69 kg/m2 and male participants was 27.3±5.01 kg/m2. In this study, the general characteristics, anthropometric measurements, habits related to healthy living, history of diseases, dietary habits, usage of food supplements and herbal products and affecting factors, physical activity level, 24-hour food consumption record of the subjects were examined with a face-to-face questionnaire. It was found that among people who use food supplements for type 2 diabetes (56.2%), vitamin D as a nutritional supplement had the highest rate of usage (%41.8). While the rate of those using herbal products was 73.5%, it was determined that the most commonly preferred product was cinnamon (%54.6). In total, 59.2% of the individuals were using these products, increased effectiveness of diabetes treatment was the primary objective. It was highlighted that 50% of the individuals used these products as a result of expert advice, meanwhile 43.8% relied on their relatives and friends advice. People (%45,7) who used the food supplements and herbal products didn't inform the products they use with the experts (physician, dietetian, etc.) who track their health condition. It was demonstrated that the physical activity levels of individuals who used food supplements and herbal supplements were significantly higher than those who didn't used (p<0.05). As a result, it is stated that the use of food supplements and herbal products are common type 2 diabetics. On the other hand, the interaction of these products with other drugs should be taken into consideration. It should be noted that these products are not replacements for drugs prescribed by medical professionals. In this respect, individuals should consult medical experts and use these products accordingly under their supervision. To determine the exact health benefits of food supplement and herbal products in this field more research is needed.