Abelmoschus esculentus (okra) in regulation of hyperglycaemia in pre-diabetic and type 2 diabetic patients: Meta-analysis

Despite the use of available pharmaceutical drugs, high rates of metabolic diseases and cardiovascular disorders are alarming. This calls for alternative therapies that can attenuate these complications. Therefore, we investigated the beneficial effects of okra on glycaemic control in pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). MEDLINE and Scopus were searched for relevant studies. Search followed an updated preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis. Collected data were analysed using Review Manager version 5.4 and reported as mean difference and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Eight clinical studies, including 331 patients with pre-diabetes and T2D, were eligible. Our findings showed that okra treatment reduced the levels of fasting blood glucose, mean difference (MD) = −14.63 mg/dL; 95% CI (-25.25, −4.00, p = 0.007); I² = 33%, p = 0.17 compared to placebo. Glycated hemoglobin, however, did not differ significantly between the groups: MD = 0.01%; 95%CI (-0.51, 0.54, p = 0.96); I² = 43%, p = 0.28. This study revealed an improved glycemic control following okra treatment pre-diabetes and T2D patients. The findings suggest that okra may be used as a supplemental dietary nutrient, especially in pre-diabetic and T2D patients due to its potential to regulate hyperglycemia.