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Adie Blanchard | 2014-06-12 04:55:18
Cinnamon – whilst it’s lovely ground up in cakes, biscuits and deserts, ironically it may also have anti-diabetic effects.
As the prevalence of type 2 diabetes is on the rise, an efficient and simple strategy to improve the management of the condition would be highly beneficial for many of those who are affected.
Evidence implies that cinnamon may be beneficial for glucose control, potentially helping to lower blood sugar in those with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes and improving the risk of complications.
This is due to cinnamon inhibiting numerous digestive enzymes which decreases the influx of glucose in the blood and avoids significant insulin spikes. It’s thought that this effect may occur in a dose dependent manner, however it is important to avoid over consumption as high doses may be toxic.
Cinnamon consumption may also reduce levels of total and LDL cholesterol as well as triglycerides, whilst increasing HDL cholesterol levels. However, research has often reported conflicting results.
One study in particular found fasting blood glucose levels to significantly reduce in those consuming high or low doses of cinnamon extract compared to a placebo group, where levels remained unchanged.
However, other studies have found cinnamon supplementation to be no more effective than a placebo.
Despite the inconclusive research it seems that cinnamon extract could be beneficial in improving blood glucose control for those living with type 2 diabetes, especially where other methods of management may not be effective. However, as the type, dose and duration of use is still unspecified, caution and professional advice ought to be taken before the use of cinnamon supplementation. Diabetes UK do not recommend that people take large doses.
Adie Blanchard – Researcher
References
Allen, R. W., Schwartzman, E., Baker, W. L., Coleman, C. I., & Phung, O. J. (2013). Cinnamon use in type 2 diabetes: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis. The Annals of Family Medicine, 11(5), 452-459.
http://examine.com/supplements/Cinnamon
Leach, M. J., & Kumar, S. (2012). Cinnamon for diabetes mellitus. Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 9.
Lu, T., Sheng, H., Wu, J., Cheng, Y., Zhu, J. et al. (2012). Cinnamon extract improves fasting blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin level in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes. Nutrition Research, 32(6), 408-412.