What Does It Mean When You Crave Cinnamon?

A great many people think cinnamon is merely an aromatic spice with a delicious flavor; however, cinnamon is a potent medicinal herb used in both traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda for thousands of years. Cinnamon is rich in antioxidants, and possesses antibacterial, antifungal and antimicrobial properties. One of its most important medicinal benefits is on the pancreas, providing powerful effects on blood sugar and insulin levels, helping to control diabetes. If you crave cinnamon, your body may be signaling that your blood sugar levels aren't what they should be.

Diabetes

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder displaying high blood sugar along with insulin deficiency. The most common form of diabetes is diabetes mellitus type 2, or adult onset of the disease. It's characterized by excessive thirst, an increase in urination and constant hunger with weight loss. Although some people need to take insulin or other medications to control their diabetes, exercise and dietary changes have shown to be effective methods for others to control blood sugar and insulin levels. Additionally, certain foods and herbs such as cinnamon may be helpful in controlling the disease.

Cinnamon and Diabetes

The American Diabetes Association reported in their journal, "Diabetes Care," about a 2003 study performed in Pakistan on 60 individuals all diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Each person was given daily doses of Cinnamomum cassia in differing quantities. Research results indicated that blood sugar levels were significantly improved by 18 percent to 29 percent in the participants. Additionally, a surprising result of the study showed that cinnamon helped lower cholesterol levels significantly including LDL, or bad cholesterol, and triglycerides. Although the conclusions drawn were that cinnamon lowers blood glucose levels, more research is needed to verify these results over a wider cross section of the population.

Two Kinds of Cinnamon

There are two varieties of cinnamon, Cinnamomum cassia and Cinnamomum zeylanicum. C. zeylanicum is considered to be the true cinnamon, from Ceylon. Lighter in color and sweeter, it's more refined in flavor. C. cassia is stronger tasting and the more common form of cinnamon sold in the U.S. In animal studies, the C. cassia was found to be more effective in decreasing glucose blood levels, although only slightly, according to the 2009 "Pennington Nutrition Series" from the Pennington Biomedical Research Center.

Side Effects

Cinnamon contains a compound called coumarin, which acts as a blood thinner and can cause bleeding if taken in high doses. Unfortunately, cinnamon isn't labeled with the amount of coumarin it contains. Maximum safe doses of cinnamon, cinnamon extract or oil haven't yet been determined for nursing women, young children or individuals with kidney or liver disease. Pregnant women should use extreme caution in consuming cinnamon, due to its ability to bring on hemorrhaging and miscarriages. If you take blood thinning medicines, don't use cinnamon medicinally unless under the supervision of your doctor.