Cinnamon tablets are touted as a complementary or alternative treatment for health conditions such as Type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol. Dietary supplement manufacturers marketing cinnamon tablets claim they promote sugar metabolism, good digestion, weight management and a healthy circulatory system. When used as a spice to flavor foods, cinnamon is typically harmless. However, taking cinnamon tablets can be harmful if you rely on these dietary supplements to treat serious, chronic conditions. Talk to your treating physician before using cinnamon tablets or any other dietary supplements for your personal health concerns.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon has a long history of traditional use in Chinese medicine, reports Tufts Medical Center. It has been administered to address numerous conditions and symptoms, including intestinal parasites, influenza, diarrhea and chills. Cinnamon is primarily used to treat Type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol; however, it may also be used to battle polycystic ovarian disease, ulcers, a flagging appetite, flatulence, nausea and vomiting. Chinese cinnamon, also known as Cassia cinnamon, is the specific type of cinnamon believed to have blood sugar-lowering properties, states MedlinePlus Supplements. Cinnamon tablets are classified as dietary supplements by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Due to this classification, you have no assurance that they are safe or effective, nor can dietary supplements purport to prevent, treat or cure any disease.
Safety
When used for therapeutic purposes, cinnamon dosages can range from 1 to 4 g a day, reports Tufts Medical Center; however, Mayo Clinic endocrinologist Thomas Behrenbeck indicates that as much as 6 g of cinnamon is sometimes used. Ground cinnamon, the spice, is generally considered safe. However, cinnamon can have mild undesirable side effects. The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center indicates that some cinnamon products such as gum and toothpaste may cause mouth ulcers and cites a case report linking cinnamon oil suppositories with allergic contact dermatitis. Cinnamon has estrogenic activity and is harmful for people with hormone-influenced cancers.
Interactions
Cinnamon tablets may be harmful if you take diabetes medications or use anticoagulants, reports the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. The combined effect of cinnamon tablets and these medications may be greater than their separate effects.
Cautions
Cinnamon may have promise as a complementary treatment for diabetes. A study reported in the December 2003 issue of "Diabetes Care" examined the effects of cinnamon on 60 adults with Type 2 diabetes. Researchers concluded that cinnamon reduced serum glucose, triglycerides, low density lipoprotein cholesterol and total cholesterol when taken daily for 40 days. However, Tufts Medical Center states that other studies fail to confirm these results. Nor has cinnamon been definitively established as a way to lower high cholesterol, Behrenbeck states. Taking cinnamon tablets can be harmful if you rely on them as a complementary or alternative therapy to self-treat a serious health problem such as diabetes or high cholesterol. These conditions require the care of a skilled health care professional. Talk to your treating physician before using cinnamon tablets in lieu of traditional medical treatment.
References
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: Cinnamon; May 2011
- Tufts Medical Center: Cinnamon; August 2011
- MedlinePlus Supplements: Cassia Cinnamon; July 2011
- MayoClinic.com: Diabetes Treatment: Can Cinnamon Lower Blood Sugar?; M. Collazo-Clavell, M.D.; September 2010
- MayoClinic.com: High Cholesterol Treatment: Does Cinnamon Lower Cholesterol?; T. Behrenbeck, M.D.; September 2010
- "Diabetes Care"; Cinnamon Improves Glucose ...; A. Kahn, et al.; December 2003
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