BACKGROUND: Oral amino acid intake reduces plasma glucose in Streptozotocin-induceddiabetic rats. This study examined the effect of oral amino acid supplementation in patients with type2 diabetes mellitus (DM). MATERIAL/METHODS: A double blind pilot clinical trial was conducted for a periodof 2 months on 77 subjects with type 2 DM. Subjects of both sexes, ages 30-60, were included in the trial.All were receiving oral antidiabetic tablets. They were divided into groups on the basis of oral supplementation:(A) lysine, (B) essential amino acids, (C) amino acids and vitamins (fat and water-soluble), and (D)calcium phosphate (control). The subjects were periodically examined for fasting and post-prandial plasmaglucose, fasting and post-prandial immunoreactive insulin, plasma amino acids, glycosylated haemoglobin(HbA1c), proteins and albumin in serum, urea and creatinine in plasma and sugar, and proteins and ketonesin urine. RESULTS: The results revealed a significant decrease in PP plasma glucose (P<0.05) in group B when compared to groups C and D after 45 days. Plasma Arginine was increased in group C from 3.84 to 9.24 mg/dl. There were no statistically significant changes seen in other parameters between groups and visits.
Conclusions: Oral supplementation with amino acids for patients with type 2 DM appears to decrease PP plasma glucose without any change in plasma insulin levels, perhaps due to improved insulin sensitivity. However, the long term effects of amino acids need further study.

Keywords: Administration, Oral, Amino Acids, Blood Glucose, Body Mass Index, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, Double-Blind Method, Insulin, Lysine, Pilot Projects