Today, we continue our reader request topics. One reader inquired about the benefits, pros, cons, etc of taking cinnamon for blood sugar control. According to the American Diabetes Association, a study showed an intake of 1,3, or 6 g of cinnamon per day reduces serum glucose, triglyceride, LDL cholesterol, and total cholesterol in people with type 2 diabetes according to the results of a study. One study published in 2009 found that a 500mg capsule of cinnamon taken twice a day for 90 days improved hemoglobin A1C levels in people with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes. More research is needed to confirm these findings and determine how cinnamon supplementation leads to these benefits. For people who have diabetes this is not an alternative to medicine.
There has also been recent studies done where there as been no affect on the participant’s A1C levels. The researches say that it’s possible that the source of the cinnamon and the means by which it’s extracted from cinnamon bark could make a difference as far as its effects on blood glucose levels. This is why cinnamon works in some studies but not in others. Cassia cinnamon is usually what they use in these studies. It is usually the kind that you’re getting at the store. Cassia cinnamon contains a compound called coumarin which may be toxic to the liver at high doses.
People with diabetes still need to keep watching their carbohydrate intake and have a well-balanced diet if they decide to take cinnamon. Compared to drug therapy, we don’t know if cinnamon can reduce the risk of mortality due to diabetes, or the progression to any of the other serious outcomes of diabetes. There still needs to be more evidence-based research to rate the effectiveness of cinnamon in lower blood sugar, but it appears it is not harmful, unless consumed in high doses. Please make special note however, that the use of cinnamon is not an alternative for lifestyle changes and medication if necessary. Following a healthy, balanced, and portion controlled diet with regular activity is still essential to proper blood sugar control!
-Jessica Claussen, SDSU Dietetic Student
