Benefits of cinnamon in diabetes
Taking cinnamon could be useful for lowering A1c levels in the blood in people with type 2 diabetes, according to this study by Dr. Paul Crawford at the Mike O’Callaghan Federal Hospital, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
First, the details.
- 109 patients with type 2 diabetics (A1c less than 7) were randomly assigned to a treatment group.
- More on A1c here.
- Usual care with management changes by their primary care physician
- Usual care with management changes plus cinnamon capsules, 1 gram daily for 90 days.
And, the results.
- Cinnamon lowered A1c 0.83% compared with usual care alone, which lowered A1c by 0.37%.
The bottom line?
Studies have shown that cinnamon is an insulin sensitizer, and these results indicate that, over 90 days, supplementation with 1 gram of cinnamon daily lowers A1c by 0.83% in patients with poorly controlled diabetes.
No placebo was used in this study because of the strong taste of cinnamon capsules, according to the author,
Others have concluded, “The ability of cinnamon to control blood glucose concentrations in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes has not yet been fully evaluated.” This study goes a long way to addressing that criticism.
10/7/09 23:43 JR
