Royal Jelly Decreases Blood Pressure, Serum Glucose, and Interleukin-6 in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes on an Iso-caloric Diet

Background: Royal Jelly (RJ) is a mixture of protein, glucose, lipid, vitamins, and minerals that is widely used as a commercial medical product. Previous studies have shown that RJ has physiological effects such as anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-allergic, and antioxidant. In the present study, the effects of RJ on some cardiovascular disease risk factors were investigated in patients with type 2 diabetes on an iso-caloric diet. Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, patients with type 2 diabetes aged 25-65 years with body mass index (BMI) of 26-30 kg/m2 and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) of 7-9% were included. The patients were randomly assigned to receive 1000 mg of RJ supplement or the placebo three times daily for 8 wks. Weight, fasting blood glucose (FBG), HbA1c, blood pressure, and inteleukin-6 levels were measured. Results: In comparison to the placebo, FBG (P = 0.006), interleukin-6 (P = 0.017), and systolic blood pressure (P = 0.02) were significantly decreased in the RJ group at the end of the study. There were significant differences in the mean changes of systolic blood pressure at the baseline to the endpoint of systolic blood pressure between the two groups (P = 0.006). Conclusions: Royal Jelly may reduce incidence of cardiovascular disease by lowering effects on FBG, inteleukin-6, and systolic blood pressure in patients with type 2 diabetes.