You probably have this aromatic spice in your kitchen cabinet. It’s popular during fall and fills the air during winter holidays. While we associate this spice with sweets, it’s so versatile that cooks add it to chili and lamb. It may help control your blood sugar, but not if you’re a Type I diabetic like me. If you guessed cinnamon, you are correct.
Cinnamon is high in antioxidants, which help neutralize harmful free radicals in our bodies. In herbs and spices, clove has the highest antioxidant value, followed by peppermint, allspice, cinnamon, oregano, thyme, sage, rosemary, saffron, and estragon (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92763/#:~:text=When%20sorted%20by%20antioxidant%20content,to%20277%20mmol%2F100%20g).
There are two types of cinnamon, with one being more beneficial and safer:
Cassia –is inexpensive and found in most products containing cinnamon. Use caution when consuming high amounts since it contains coumarin, which can be toxic to the liver. The coumarin in some cinnamon can interact with medications that also affect the liver, like acetaminophen or statins, increasing the risk of liver damage.
Ceylon– is referred to as “true cinnamon”. Ceylon is more expensive but contains more antioxidants and lower amounts of coumarin.
A study determined cinnamon’s effect on glycemic control in adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Seventy-two type 1 diabetics were treated in an outpatient setting with cinnamon (1 g/day) or a placebo for 90 days. There were no significant differences in final A1C, total daily insulin intake, or the number of hypoglycemic episodes between the two groups. The study concluded that cinnamon is not effective for improving glycemic control in Type I adolescents (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17392542/).
Besides lowering blood sugar, cinnamon may also lower cholesterol and triglycerides (fat in the blood). An analysis of 10 studies found that daily cinnamon consumption led to a significant decrease in total cholesterol and bad cholesterol (https://health.clevelandclinic.org/benefits-of-cinnamon/).
There are conflicting studies on whether cinnamon helps Type 2 diabetics with blood sugar control:
Cinnamon may aid Type II diabetics and may even be more beneficial for prediabetics.
Research published in the Journal of Endocrine Society revealed daily consumption of cinnamon may help control blood sugar in prediabetics, preventing type 2 diabetes in the future.
Out of 54 prediabetic participants, 27 received three daily 500 milligrams (mg) doses of cinnamon over the course of 12 weeks, in capsule form. The rest received a placebo.
After 12 weeks, people on the placebo had higher fasting blood sugar, but levels of people consuming cinnamon remained stable. Additionally, the group consuming cinnamon had an improved glucose tolerance (the ability to metabolize sugar) but the placebo group did not.
“Our 12-week study showed beneficial effects of adding cinnamon to the diet on keeping blood sugar levels stable in participants with prediabetes,” said the study’s corresponding author, Giulio R. Romeo, MD, of Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. “These findings provide the rationale for longer and larger studies to address if cinnamon can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes over time.”
Emmy Suhl, diabetes educator of the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, agrees cinnamon can help prediabetics. “For people who already have diabetes, cinnamon is not an alternative to medication. But for people with pre-diabetes who are interested in using diet to manage their blood sugar, it’s one of many strategies worth considering. The evidence is still inconclusive,” Suhl notes, “but cinnamon is inexpensive, and it tastes good.”
While studies are conflicting, the best way to determine if cinnamon can lower your blood sugar is what I always advise- be a diabetic detective. No, this doesn’t mean you can eat all the cinnamon buns you want. But there are other tasty ways to add more cinnamon to your diet. Sprinkle it on toast, popcorn, oatmeal, sweet potato, and apples. Go ahead, add a cinnamon stick to your coffee or apple cider. Be cautious that if it works for you, it may cause low blood sugar. Just don’t use it as a replacement for your medication.
If you want to test if cinnamon will lower your blood sugar, use Ceylon as opposed to Cassia. Ceylon has more antioxidants and less coumarin, which is toxic to the liver. While I’m disappointed that cinnamon doesn’t lower blood sugar in Type I diabetics, I’m excited it may work for Type IIs and prediabetics. Sprinkle it on your food. After all, it’s high in antioxidants. And it may be a tasty way to help manage your blood sugar and cholesterol.
The National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIH/NIDDK) awarded Joslin Diabetes Center $8.5 million to support Joslin’s Diabetes Research Center (DRC) program. They gave the grant on April 1, 2022, marking the 36th continuous year of NIH investment in Joslin’s DRC program.
Disclaimer
Please remember this is not medical advice or intended to replace the advice of your doctor. This is my experience with the natural supplements that have helped me manage my diabetes. They are not intended to cure any disease. Please do not self-diagnose. Always check with your health care provider before trying new treatments.
Also, natural does not mean safe. Many natural remedies have side effects and can interact with medication and supplements. It should be noted that the FDA does not regulate dietary supplements but treats them like foods and not medication. Unlike drug manufacturers, supplement makers do not have to show their products are safe or effective.
I ask you to please keep an open mind; be a diabetic detective and do your own research; work with your healthcare team; see what works best for you, and monitor your blood sugars.
I used to hate blueberries, and my mother is to blame. Let me explain. When…
Rachel Hollis once said, "The best way to celebrate the holidays is with some delicious food." I agree. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Three Kings Day, Las Posadas, and Boxing Day are a few of the upcoming winter festivities featuring delicious food. You want to celebrate them, of course, but you also want to keep your blood sugar levels stable. According to…
With Halloween right around the corner, you might be asking yourself, "As a diabetic, can…
Allulose (d-allulose, psicose, and d-psicose) is a natural sugar found in figs, raisins, maple syrup,…
You’ve probably heard about or seen kimchi and kombucha. They are probiotics, beneficial bacteria found…
While sugar can increase blood sugar levels, the opposite of sugar, sour foods can lower…
This website uses cookies.