Insulin is the hormone that controls the utilization of blood sugar. In type 1 diabetes, beta cells in the pancreas produce too little insulin. In type 2 diabetes, there may be no shortage of insulin but the cells of the body have developed resistance to it so that blood sugar levels remain high. Improved insulin function in type 2 diabetes leads to improved blood sugar levels. The ability of cinnamon to circumvent insulin resistance and act on cells in a way that lowers blood sugar is supported by research. In addition, cinnamon may lower triglycerides and low density lipoproteins (LDL), or harmful fats and cholesterol.
Lower Blood Glucose
Researchers at Iowa State University found the effects of a methylhydroxychalcone polymer (MHCP), isolated from cinnamon, may take 30 to 60 minutes to achieve effects that insulin normally produces in five to 10 minutes. MHCP affects cells in a way that helps them use glucose and thus lowers levels of blood sugar by entering cells and interacting with kinase, a protein enzyme. Kinase is the key mechanism in insulin signaling, a complex action that regulates blood glucose and lipid (fat) metabolism.
Lower Triglycerides
In a randomized controlled study on 60 humans, published in "Diabetes Care," the magazine of the American Diabetes Association, capsules containing either cinnamon or a placebo were given to subjects for 40 days. Not only did the spice lower blood sugars from 18 to 29 percent in the subjects who took from one to three capsules daily, but triglycerides also fell by 23 to 30 percent. Triglycerides are fats in the blood that are stored in fat cells. High triglycerides are associated with obesity, untreated diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Lower Cholesterol
Cholesterol travels through the bloodstream in little sacs called lipoproteins. Low density lipoproteins, or LDL, transport cholesterol into arteries, causing fatty buildups that increase vulnerability to heart attack and stroke. High density lipoproteins, or HDL, carry cholesterol away from arteries and back to the liver, where it can be re-used or eliminated. Controlling cholesterol means lowering LDL and increasing the percentage of HDL to LDL.
Type 2 diabetics have two to four times more cardiovascular disease than non-diabetics. Cinnamon may play a role in reducing the incidence and severity of these problems, according to the study published in "Diabetes Care." Researchers found that the spice lowered LDL cholesterol in subjects who consumed one to three capsules a day by 7 to 27 percent, while having no effect on HDL levels.
