The Effect of Chamomile Tea versus Black Tea on Glycemic Control and Blood Lipid Profiles in Depressed Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background: According to traditional beliefs, chamomile products have anti-depression effect. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of chamomile tea on glycemic control, depression status and lipid profiles in type 2 diabetes (T2D) with depression. Methods: This randomized clinical trial was carried out on 74 depressed patients with T2D. Participants were randomly divided into two 37-people groups, chamomile tea (CG) and black tea group (BG). The CG received 3 cups of chamomile tea daily and the BG received 3 cups of black tea daily half an hour after meals for 12 weeks. To examine the status of depression, Beck II test was utilized. Anthropometric measurements, 24-h dietary recalls, glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and blood lipids profile were measured at the baseline and at the end of the intervention. Results: The HbA1c mean was significantly reduced in CG after the intervention, when compared with BG (7.15 ± 1.23% vs. 7.98 ± 1.76%, P = 0.02). In the same vein, the mean changes in CG and BG were -0.74 ± 1.29 and 0.04 ± 1.07 (P = 0.006), respectively. No significant changes were observed in mean of serum lipids within and between groups. The Beck score also showed a significant reduction in the CG after the intervention (P < 0.001) and also, the mean changes showed a significant difference between the two groups. Conclusions: The results of this study demonstrated that drinking three cups of chamomile tea daily for 12 weeks by T2D suffering from depression lead to improve glycemic control and depression state. Therefore, drinking this kind of tea by these patients is recommended