Cinnamon is not just a spice in your cupboard used for baking pies and cookies. It could well be a valuable ingredient for reducing blood sugar levels. High blood sugar levels are indicated in type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance. Too much cinnamon, however, has an adverse effect on the liver. As with all potential treatments, please consult your physician before making changes.
Cinnamon and Blood Sugar
Step 1
Understand the cinnamon and blood sugar connection. Several studies have examined the effect of cinnamon on blood sugar. Insulin, insulin sensitivity and blood sugar have all benefited from cinnamon, either in whole form or aqueous extracts of cinnamon. MayoClinic.com reported a 2009 study that showed blood sugar improvements when cinnamon was taken twice a day for three months. More studies are needed, however, since few well-controlled clinical trials have been performed.
Step 2
Use cinnamon as an antioxidant. Cinnamon has been found to also function as an antioxidant in the body, which helps relieve the oxidative stress that increases with obesity. Both oxidative stress and obesity are factors in the development of diabetes. A study, published in 2008 and performed at the USDA's Diet, Genomics, and Immunology Lab, provided 500 mg cinnamon each day to obese patients with elevated glucose and had positive results. Since cinnamon lowered blood sugar and decreased oxidative stress in the participants, cinnamon is seen as a viable substance to help decrease the risk factors for diabetes, as well as cardiovascular diseases.
Step 3
Use cinnamon for metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome affects more than 50 million Americans with symptoms, including the early signs of diabetes. Having metabolic syndrome increases your chances of developing type 2 diabetes by five-fold. A placebo-controlled study at the USDA's Diet, Genomics, and Immunology Lab, published in 2007, gave a water-soluble cinnamon extract or a placebo to 22 patients with metabolic syndrome and found that the cinnamon extract lowered the patients' blood sugar as well their blood pressure and lean body mass.
Step 4
Use ground cinnamon or cinnamon sticks. The USDA's Nutrient Requirements and Functions Laboratory has performed several studies and published several articles on the benefits of cinnamon for blood sugar, triglycerides and cholesterol. The NRFL has shown in its research that the active components of cinnamon are found in its aqueous state, not fat-soluble state. In other words, cinnamon powder or cinnamon sticks contain the active components, while cinnamon oil does not. Add cinnamon to juices, cereals, coffee and salads or make cinnamon tea with ground cinnamon or cinnamon sticks. A 1/2-tsp. serving of cinnamon each day will lead to the dramatic results seen in their studies, without any harmful side effects.
References
- PubMed.gov: Cinnamon: Potential Role in the Prevention of Insulin Resistance, Metabolic Syndrome, and Type 2 Diabetes
- American Dietetic Association: Is It True That Cinnamon Can Lower Blood Sugar in People Who Have Diabetes?
- MayoClinic.com: Diabetes Treatment: Can Cinnamon Lower Blood Sugar
- PubMed.gov: Cinnamon and Health
- USDA: Antioxidant Effects of a Cinnamon Extract on Overweight Subjects with Impaired Fasting Glucose; 2008
- USDA: Effects of a Water-Soluble Cinnamon Extract on Body Composition and Features of the Metabolic Syndrome in Pre-diabetic Men and Women; 2007
