Dill powder and metabolic health in type 2 diabetes
What it found
In 42 people with type 2 diabetes, taking 3 g of dill powder daily for 8 weeks improved some blood fats, insulin resistance and antioxidant markers compared with a placebo.
The authors say dill may help manage diabetes, but more research is needed.
What they found
Studies in people
Insulin and insulin resistance
In the dill group, insulin levels and insulin resistance dropped significantly after 8 weeks compared with the start. The drop in insulin was larger in the dill group than in the placebo group, but after adjusting for other factors the difference was no longer significant.
Cholesterol changes
The dill group had a significant rise in HDL (good) cholesterol and significant drops in LDL and total cholesterol after 8 weeks. These changes were significantly better than in the placebo group, even after adjusting for other factors.
Triglycerides
There was no significant change in triglyceride levels in either group.
Antioxidant and oxidative stress markers
The dill group showed a significant drop in malondialdehyde (a marker of oxidative stress) and a significant rise in total antioxidant capacity compared with the placebo group. These differences remained after adjusting for other factors.
Inflammation marker
There was no significant change in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) within or between the groups.
Gastrointestinal symptoms
Only colonic motility disorder was significantly reduced in the dill group. Other gut symptoms like reflux, dyspepsia and gastric motility problems did not improve significantly.
What the authors conclude
“Dill powder supplementation can be effective in controlling the glycemic, lipid, stress oxidative and gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with type 2 diabetes.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that dill powder supplementation can be effective in controlling glycemic, lipid, oxidative stress and gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with type 2 diabetes.
- They state that further studies are needed to determine molecular levels and to clarify the role of dill in the treatment of diabetes complications.
How it was done
Earlier studies on dill's effects on blood sugar, cholesterol and inflammation in people with type 2 diabetes had given inconsistent results. The authors wanted to test whether dill powder could help with blood sugar control, blood fats, antioxidants, inflammation and gut symptoms.
They randomly assigned 42 patients with type 2 diabetes to receive either 3 g of dill powder or a placebo (starch) in capsules daily for 8 weeks. Blood tests measured blood sugar, insulin, insulin resistance, cholesterol, antioxidants and inflammation markers before and after. Gut symptoms were also checked.
What it can’t tell you
- This was a small study of 42 people with type 2 diabetes, so the results may not apply to everyone with diabetes or to people without diabetes.
- The study only tested one dose of dill (3 g per day) for 8 weeks, so it cannot show whether higher or lower doses, or longer use, would have different effects.
- The study did not include a follow-up after the supplements stopped, so it cannot show whether any benefits last.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences (from the PubMed record).
- Conflicts
- The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
- Authors work at
- Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Iran
The paper
- Title
- The effects of Anethum graveolens (dill) powder supplementation on clinical and metabolic status in patients with type 2 diabetes
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Licence
- CC BY. Words in quotation marks are the authors’; the rest is our summary.
- Cite
- Haidari F, Zakerkish M, Borazjani F, Ahmadi Angali K, Amoochi Foroushani G (2020). The effects of Anethum graveolens (dill) powder supplementation on clinical and metabolic status in patients with type 2 diabetes. Trials. doi:10.1186/s13063-020-04401-3Free full textPubMed 32503652DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error