Cinnamon, which is a spice derived from the inner bark of trees belonging to the genus Cinnamomum, has been used as early as 2000 B.C. in Egypt. Cinnamon is native to Sri Lanka and the majority of the world's cinnamon is produced there. Recent research has revealed a variety of significant health benefits of cinnamon, including the reduction of cholesterol.
Cholesterol Receptors
Cinnamon improves lipid levels in type 2 diabetics, according to a study by S.H. Kim et al that was published in the February 2010 "Archives of Pharmaceutical Research" journal. In the study, laboratory mice that were given 200mg per kg body weight of cinnamon daily for 12 weeks showed significant improvements in blood sugar and lipid status. The researchers of the study, which was conducted at Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea, noted that regulation of PPAR alpha and PPAR gamma -- receptors that influence cholesterol and lipid metabolism -- may be responsible for cinnamon's cholesterol-lowering effects.
Insulin Sensitivity
Cinnamon's ability to improve insulin sensitivity also makes it effective for bringing cholesterol into balance by helping clear fats out of the bloodstream, according to a study by B. Qin et al and published in the March 2010 "Hormone and Metabolic Research." In the study, insulin-resistant laboratory rats were given 50mg per kg body weight of cinnamon extract per day for eight weeks. The cinnamon extract reduced triglycerides, total cholesterol and VLDL cholesterol.
Cinnamon and Lipitor
Cinnamon compared favorably with the cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor in a study by K.A. Amin, et al that was published in the October 2009 "International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine." Rats fed a high cholesterol diet together with cinnamon extract had increased levels of HDL, which is the good type of cholesterol; higher levels of nitric oxide, which is a compound that relaxes arteries; and improved antioxidant activity compared to a control group that did not receive cinnamon. The researchers concluded that Lipitor and cinnamon both lowered cholesterol, protected the liver, and protected against lipid oxidation , which is a process that initiates arterial plaque formation.
Genetic Influences
A study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that cinnamon extract decreases LDL cholesterol along with a number of factors that promote its production and release. Cinnamon works at the genetic level to inhibit genes that code for promotion of LDL cholesterol, according to B. Qin et al. As a result, triglyceride levels and levels of apolipoprotein B -- the primary component of LDL cholesterol -- are lowered, according to the study's findings, which were published in the November 2009 "Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry."
References
- PubMed.gov: Antihyperglycemic and antihyperlipidemic action of Cinnamomi Cassiae (Cinnamon bark) extract in C57BL/Ks db/db mice; Kim SH et al; 2010
- PubMed.gov: Cinnamon extract regulates plasma levels of adipose-derived factors and expression of multiple genes related to carbohydrate metabolism and lipogenesis in adipose tissue of fructose-fed rats; Qin B et al; 2010
- PubMed.gov: Oxidative markers, nitric oxide and homocysteine alteration in hypercholesterolimic rats: role of atorvastatine and cinnamon; Amin KA et al; 2009
- PubMed.gov: Cinnamon extract inhibits the postprandial overproduction of apolipoprotein B48-containing lipoproteins in fructose-fed animals; Qin B et al; 2009
