The Effect of Flaxseed Enriched Yogurt on the Glycemic Status and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Randomized, Open-labeled, Controlled Study

Flaxseed is one of the rich sources of α-linolenic acid and lignan. Flaxseed and its
components have antioxidant, hypolipidemic and hypoglycemic effects. The study aimed
to investigate the effect of flaxseed enriched yogurt on glycemic control, lipid profiles and
blood pressure in patients with type 2 diabetes. A randomized, open-labeled, controlled
clinical trial was conducted on 57 patients with type 2 diabetes. Participants were assigned
to receive 200 g 2.5% fat yogurt containing 30-g flaxseed or plain yogurt daily for 8 weeks.
Anthropometrics and biochemical parameters were evaluated at the beginning and end of
the study. After 8 weeks of supplementation, Hemoglobin A1c was significantly decreased
in the intervention group compared to control (p = 0.007). Also, at the end of the study,
significant differences were seen between the flaxseed enriched yogurt and control groups
in triglycerides and total cholesterol concentrations (p = 0.04 and p = 0.01), systolic blood
pressure and diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.02 and p = 0.002, respectively). However,
we did not find any difference between 2 groups in low-density lipoprotein, high-density
lipoprotein, body weight and waist circumference (p > 0.05). Our results showed that the
addition of flaxseed to yogurt can be effective in the management of type 2 diabetes.