Effect of Camel Milk on Blood Sugar and Lipid Profile of Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: A Pilot Clinical Trial

BACKGROUND: It has been shown that camel milk consumption has a definite decreasing effect on the prevalence of diabetes. However, most of these studies were conducted on patients with type 1 diabetes, whereas studies on patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are limited. In vitro experiments have shown that camel milk was able to decrease blood glucose concentration. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate effects of camel and cow milk on blood sugar, lipid profile, and blood pressure of patients with T2DM. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In a randomized single-blinded controlled clinical trial, 20 patients with T2DM were randomly allocated into two groups. Participants consumed 500 mL of either camel milk (intervention group) or cow milk (control group) daily for two months. RESULTS: Mean of insulin concentration was significantly increased from 64.59 to 84.03 pmol/L in the camel milk group during the study (P < 0.05). No significant differences were shown in fasting blood sugar, lipid profile, and blood pressure between the two groups at the end of study. There was significant increase in homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) during the study in both groups, but no significant difference was seen between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Camel milk increased insulin level in patients with T2DM and might contribute to glycemic control in T2DM.