Natural Remedies: Diabetes vs. Cinnamon

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a sweet but pungent spice obtained from the inner bark of the branches of wild cinnamon trees from the genus Cinnamomum, which grow in tropical areas across South America, Southeast Asia, and the Caribbean. 

The use of cinnamon dates back thousands of years and was very much prized among many early civilizations. 

Cinnamon, often used in both sweet and savory foods in cooking and baking, is increasingly being associated to improvements in the treatment of conditions such as diabetes mellitus. 

Cinnamon

How does cinnamon affect diabetes?

A couple of studies have established that cinnamon improves blood glucose control in
people with type 2 diabetes. In the first study, 60 people with type 2 diabetes were divided into six groups. Three groups took 1, 3 or 6 g of cinnamon a day and the remaining three groups consumed 1, 3 or 6 g of placebo capsules. After 40 days, all three doses of cinnamon significantly reduced fasting blood glucose, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and total cholesterol.

In a different study, 79 people with type 2 diabetes (not on insulin therapy but treated with other diabetes medication or diet) took either a cinnamon extract (equivalent to 3 g of cinnamon powder) or a placebo capsule three times a day.

After four months, there was a slight but statistically significant decline in fasting blood glucose levels in people who took the cinnamon (10.3%) compared with the placebo group (3.4%), however, there was no significant difference in glycosylated hemoglobin or lipid profiles.

As a result of the scientific confirmation available, many health experts state that cinnamon contains properties that are beneficial for blood sugar regulation and treatment of type 2 diabetes.

However, bear in mind that like many natural compounds cinnamon is yet to be medically approved for prevention or treatment of any disease.

Other health benefits 

Furthermore to regulating blood glucose and lowering cholesterol, cinnamon has been shown to:

• Reduce the proliferation of leukemia and lymphoma cancer cells
• Stop medication-resistant yeast infections
• Boost the body’s immune system
• Help in relieving indigestion
• Relieve pain in arthritis sufferers
• Have an anti-clotting effect on the blood
• Preserve food by inhibiting bacterial growth and food spoilage
• Be a great source of vital nutrients, including calcium, fiber, manganese and iron

The majority of these health benefits are linked with use of true cinnamon (also known as Ceylon cinnamon) and not cassia bark cinnamon, which is the species involved in most diabetes research.

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