Introduction: Type 2 diabetes is a common disorder of carbohydrate metabolism and a common chronic disease. Garlic is beneficial for patients with diabetes due to its diverse compounds. Also, cumin is one of the medicinal herbs, the role of which has been highlighted in treating diabetes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the effects of cumin and garlic on glycosylated hemoglobin in type 2 diabetic patients.

Materials and Method: In this clinical trial, 75 diabetic patients with type 2 diabetes were selected from Diabetes Clinic of Imam Khomeini Hospital of Zabol, Iran. The participants were randomly divided into three groups of garlic powder, cumin extract, and control. Firstly, glycosylated hemoglobin of the patients was measured and then the patients were followed up for two months. Glycosylated hemoglobin of the patients was re-measured after the intervention. To analyze the data, paired t-test and ANOVA were performed in SPSS, version 22.

Results: In the garlic consumption group, the mean of HbA_1c showed no significant differences before and after the intervention (P=0.11), while this mean difference was significant in the cumin group (P=0.001). Based on the findings, there was no significant difference in mean HbA_1c among the three groups of garlic, cumin and control before the intervention (P=0.04), but after the intervention, this difference was significant (P=0.04).

Conclusion: We observed the effects of cumin on the improvement of HbA_1c level. Accordingly, the complementary use of cumin may be useful in managing diabetes and its subsequent complications.