Tehran University of Medical Sciences Journal of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics 3 2 2017 05 10 9 14 EN Fatemeh Afsharpour Department of Nutrition, School of Health, Qazvin University of Medical Science, Qazvin, Iran Sima Hashemipour Metabolic Diseases Research Center, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran Hossein Khadem-Haghighian Department of Nutrition, School of Health, Qazvin University of Medical Science, Qazvin, Iran Yaghob Koushan Medical Plant Research Center of Islamic Azad University of Tabriz, Researcher in Traditional Medicine, Tabriz, Iran 2017 08 22 2017 09 28 Objective: Propolis is one of the hive products with a wide clinical usage due to the variety of bioactive components. This clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of propolis supplementation on glycemic status and inflammation. Methods: In an 8-week randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, clinical trial, patients with type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to the propolis (n = 31) or control group (n = 31). The first group received propolis capsules (500 mg), 3 times a day. Fasting blood samples were obtained. The liver enzymes, inflammatory markers, and glucose-related indicators were measured at the beginning and the end of the study. Results: Compared with the control group, the propolis group showed significant changes in fasting plasma glucose (propolis, -19.8 ± 29.16; placebo, 0.7 ± 27.8; p = 0.01), two-hour postprandial glucose (propolis,  -27.42 ± 44.5; placebo, -0.95 ± 42.7; p = 0.001), hemoglobin A1c  (propolis, -1.07 ± 1.6; placebo, 0.03 ± 1.5; p = 0.041), insulin (propolis, -1.65 ± 4.3; placebo, 0.04 ± 4.02; p = 0.03), HOMA-IR (propolis, -1.08 ± 0.7; placebo, 0.03 ± 0.42; p = .044), TNF-α (propolis, -2.67 ± 4.1; placebo, 0.12 ± 4; p = 0.025), and C-reactive protein (propolis, -2.5 ± 3.01; placebo, -0.67 ± 2.84; p = 0.031). Furthermore, propolis reduced the mean aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (propolis, -1.62 ± 10.4; placebo, 0.13 ± 11.07; p = 0.12) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels (propolis, -0.61 ± 6.47; placebo, 0.12 ± 7.01; p = 0.54), but it was not significant. Conclusion:  Propolis treatment in type 2 diabetic patients had a beneficial effect on the glycemic profile and inflammatory status. However, there was no significant change in the level of AST and ALT enzymes, warranting further research. https://jnsd.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jnsd/article/view/171 https://jnsd.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jnsd/article/download/171/191