Use of Botanical Supplements Among Romanian Individuals with Diabetes: Results from an Online Study on Prevalence, Practices, and Glycemic Control.

Plant supplements are frequently used by diabetes mellitus (DM) patients in the management of their disease. The present study aimed to identify the prevalence of plant supplement use in DM patients from Romania and to evaluate patients' practices, profiles, and beliefs regarding plant supplements and the impact of their use on glycemic control. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among Romanian diabetic patients. Out of 329 validated responses, 44.07% reported supplement use. L. (35.17%) was the most used. Female patients were statistically significantly more prevalent in the plant supplement user group. Plant supplement use was associated with statistically significantly lower HbA1c (7.11% vs. 7.66%, < 0.01) and basal glycemia (127.75 mg/dL vs. 136.08 mg/dL, < 0.01) over the previous three months. Diabetic polyneuropathy was statistically significantly less prevalent among patients who used plant supplements (31.03% vs. 42.39%, = 0.035). The greatest proportion of responders reported that they started to use plant supplements for improving blood glycemia (88.97%), followed by the purpose of preventing DM complications (27.59%). A significant improvement in health status was reported by 53.79% of patients using herbal supplements. Plant supplement use was common and associated with improved glycemic parameters and lower complication prevalence.