Use of hypoglycemic plants by Tunisian diabetic patients

Introduction: The recourse to the herbal medicines in treating diabetes is frequent in Africa and especially in Tunisia. Its practice is transmitted orally and ritually from generation to generation. The objectives of this study are to determine the plants used, their methods of preparation, consumption and profile of patients who use them (habitat, profession, gender, age . . .). Patients and methods: A questionnaire concerning the use of herbal medicines has been proposed to diabetic patients consulting in the National Institute of Nutrition of Tunis, on the output of the medical consultation of diabetes. Results: Two hundred patients responded. 23% of patients were using herbal medicine. The main plants used are gum arabic (71.7%) fenugreek (28.3%) of white artemisia (21.7%) and marrube (10.9%). 28.3% of them have type 1 diabetes. The average duration of diabetes was 10.5 ± 6.9 years, 72.4% of patients reduced their dosages of drug treatment because of the onset of hypoglycemia. Conclusions: The use of herbal medicines is frequent in the therapeutic arsenal of type 2 diabetes in Tunisia. This practice must however be based on the findings of scientific studies which are still scarce. The conditions of their utilization must be defined and users should be warned against potential side effects.