My Diabetes Information Blogs
Researching Cinnamon's Possible Diabetes Benefits
10/12/07
Treatment Options, Diagnosis, Research
While the latest study on cinnamon shows that it does not help diabetes, it may not be time to dismiss the tasty spice altogether.
A recent edition of the the journal Diabetes Care reported on a study that tested doses of cinnamon to determine if it could help people with diabetes. The study found that cinnamon did not reduce blood sugar, improve insulin resistance, or lower cholesterol.
The study lasted for three months and involved 43 people with diabetes.
Other Studies of Diabetes and Cinnamon
There are a number of studies exploring cinnamon's role as an alternative treatment for diabetes. The results are mixed. Perhaps one of the more helpful studies appeared this summer in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. It concluded that a dose of cinnamon in rice pudding at the end of a meal caused the stomach to delay emptying the meal into the intestines. The natural result of this delay seems to be a smaller blood sugar spike after the meal. This lower postprandial blood sugar reading should result in lower hemoglobin A1C scores.
Sources:
Diabetes Care, October 2007
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, June 2007