Cinnamon May Help Prevent Type 2 Diabetes

A study conducted by Pakistani researchers in 2003 indicates that cinnamon may improve cholesterol and blood glucose levels in people with Type 2 diabetes. The study consisted of 60 people with Type 2 diabetes divided into 6 groups of 10, and tested the effect of placebo capsules against capsules containing cinnamon.

Three groups of 10 received placebo capsules and three groups received cinnamon capsules. The capsules were taken three times a day after meals by each group. Those in the groups receiving 1, 3 or 6 grams of cinnamon daily showed a reduction in fasting glucose levels, triglycerides, and both LDL and total cholesterol after 40 days.

Though the test group involved a relatively small number of participants, and the long-term effects of cinnamon on Type 2 diabetics have not been evaluated, scientists indicate the results are promising.

Type 2 diabetes is a disease in which the body is resistant to insulin, which prevents the cells from receiving the glucose they need to function. A build up of insulin in the blood could lead to serious health problems including vision problems, including blindness and premature death if left untreated. Type 2 diabetes often develops in middle age and more than 100 million die from it every year.

Sciencedaily.com reports, "The healthful effects of cinnamon on mice with diabetes are being studied in a joint project at the UCSB and the Sansum Diabetes Research Institute in Santa Barbara. The researchers have been studying the effects of cinnamon on obese mice, which have been fed water laced with cinnamon at Sansum's lab, according to [Dr. Don] Graves, who is running the project with Lois Jovanovic, Sansum's research director. When the trials are completed, 60 diabetic mice will have been studied, sponsored by a grant to UCSB from Cottage Hospital, Santa Barbara."

Dr. Graves believes that several other major diseases could be helped by cinnamon. Pancreatic cancer is a disease in which the pancreas produces abnormal amounts of insulin in response to the caner tumor which then causes insulin resistance in the body's cells. Some other recent studies have shown that Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases may be related to insulin resistance.

Most cinnamon sold in America's grocery stores is cinnamomum cassia, which is a less potent cinnamon product. The Pakistani study reportedly used cinnamomum cassia. True cinnamon, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, is native to Sri Lanka (Ceylon) and India and dates back to 2800 B.C. in Chinese writings. Throughout history cinnamon has been used in the embalming process, as a preservative for meats and has been highly prized for its aroma, taste and curative abilities.