Diabetes is one of the leading endocrine problems across the globe. It has been rising rapidly in South Africa largely due to obesity. Every now and then health products are touted as being the answer to the diabetes epidemic but lacks the scientific evidence to justify its use. Cinnamon is a spice that has recently grown in popularity as a diabetes treatment. But does the scientific evidence validate its benefits and justify its use in diabetes?
It has led to various clinical trials being conducted to verify the effectiveness of cinnamon in controlling blood glucose levels. Despite some mixed results, cinnamon has been found to be helpful in glucose control but is not advisable as a means to replace traditional diabetes medication. There is also some evidence to suggest that long term use of large amounts of cinnamon can have other negative health effects. However, it does not entirely preclude the benefit of cinnamon use for diabetes.
Treating Diabetes with Cinnamon
Diabetes needs to be managed by a medical professional with the use of anti-hyperglycaemic drugs and insulin when necessary. Failure to manage diabetes properly can lead to a host of complications, some in the short term but most that will arise over years and decades. Some of these complications can be fatal.
Furthermore, diabetes management also requires lifestyle changes. This involves switching to a diet that is low glycaemic index and other eating habits necessary to manage and avoid high glucose levels (hyperglycaemia). Exercise is just as important as it helps with controlling body weight and improving glucose tolerance. Now stress management is also advocated as the stress response can disrupt glucose control and it is also known that stress is linked to weight gain which further impedes glucose control.
It is only after the proper medical treatment has been commenced and lifestyle changes instituted that a diabetic should consider nutritional supplements and herbal remedies that could help with glucose control. Cinnamon is one such option. Other herbs like bitter gourd and supplements like chromium picolinate have been used for diabetes management for several years. But none have been as extensively researched as cinnamon in recent times.
So does cinnamon help with treating diabetes? These results from recent studies and reviews of trials conducted over the years have confirmed the benefits of cinnamon. But cinnamon was not able to match pharmaceutical drugs in controlling glucose levels. Many researchers have also highlighted the danger of liver toxicity when using cinnamon in very high doses. Overall the researchers do agree that moderate amounts of cinnamon is unlikely to be harmful and may in fact be helpful in glucose control.
Using Cinnamon for Lowering Glucose Levels
A meta-analysis of 10 clinical trials revealed that benefits were noted when the dosage of cinnamon was between 1 and 6 grams. There are four types of cinnamon and most of the studies focussed on cassia cinammon (Cinnamomum cassia) either as a power or in a capsule. It was found that one teaspoon of cinnamon powder was approximately 3 grams and this was the dosage that seemed to be most widely studied. No significant side effects were noted from using cinnamon supplements at this dosage.
In addition, these studies also noted that total blood cholesterol decreased and so did LDL cholesterol (the ‘bad’ cholesterol) while HDL cholesterol (the ‘good’ cholesterol) increased. Once again, cinnamon supplements are not advocated as a way to treat high blood cholesterol levels when medication such as statins is indicated. However, a teaspoon of cinnamon daily, either in its raw form or with beverages like coffee, may not be harmful and in fact helpful in the long term.
The Research
While a paper published in the Annals of Family Medicine in September 2013 did reach the conclusion that cinnamon supplements improved fasting blood glucose levels, it also highlighted that longer duration studies were necessary to verify the long term benefit of cinnamon as would be monitored through HbA1C levels. It also pointed out that variation in cinnamon supplements used during studies as a result of differences in doses, bioavailability of ingredients between harvests and different species of cinnamon need to be taken into account when considering the results.
However, despite the benefit of cinnamon in lowering blood glucose levels, none of the researchers recommended it as a means of treating and managing diabetes on its own. Diabetic medication should not be stopped and dietary and lifestyle modification should not be discontinued. Instead cinnamon supplementation may be a helpful adjunct to medical management of diabetes. Another concern is that coumarin in cassia cinnamon is known be toxic in high levels and when used over a long period of time.
References:
Will a spoonful of cinnamon help the diabetes meds go down? Medscape Medical News
Image sourced from Wikimedia Commons.
