The effects of an anti-inflammatory diet alone or in combination with acupuncture on mental health, anthropometric indices, and metabolic status in diabetic patients with depression: a randomized, controlled clinical trial.

Background: The present clinical trial examined the efficacy of an anti-inflammatory diet combined with acupuncture compared to an anti-inflammatory diet alone and standard treatment in depressed patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM).

Methods: In this 8-week randomized controlled clinical trial, 90 patients with T2DM who were experiencing mild to moderate depression were included. The participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: (i) acupuncture combined with an anti-inflammatory diet, (ii) an anti-inflammatory diet alone, and (iii) standard treatment. The combination therapy group received acupuncture therapy twice a week. Mental health outcomes, biochemical parameters, dietary intake, and anthropometric indices were assessed at baseline and the end of the trial.

Results: Of the 90 diabetic patients, 83 completed the intervention. Acupuncture therapy combined with diet resulted in an ~20% reduction in depression and anxiety, 4.28 and 0.82% reduction in waist circumference (WC) and HbA1C levels, respectively at the end of the trial. This combination therapy also significantly decreased WC (p = 0.04) and HbA1c levels (p = 0.008), while increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations (p = 0.02) compared to diet alone.

Conclusion: Our findings indicate that acupuncture, in conjunction with an anti-inflammatory diet, may be more effective in enhancing mental health, reducing HbA1C levels, and decreasing abdominal obesity compared to an anti-inflammatory diet alone in patients with T2DM experiencing mild-to-moderate depression after 8 weeks. However, further clinical trials with larger sample sizes and extended durations are recommended to confirm the efficacy of this adjunctive therapy.