ATLANTA (CNN)– Cinnamon may enhance blood glucose control in individuals with a condition referred to as prediabetes and might slow the progression to type 2 diabetes, according to a new pilot study of 51 individuals with elevated blood glucose.
” We are looking for safe, long lasting and economical approaches to lower the development from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes,” stated research study author Dr. Giulio Romeo, a staff doctor at Boston’s Joslin Diabetes Center and the division of endocrinology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical. The research study published Tuesday in the Journal of the Endocrine Society.
” Our 12- week research study revealed beneficial results of including cinnamon to the diet plan on keeping blood sugar level levels stable in individuals with prediabetes,” Romeo said. “These findings supply the reasoning for longer and bigger research studies to attend to if cinnamon can reduce the danger of developing type 2 diabetes with time.”
Cinnamon’s health effects
Gathered from the inner bark of a tropical evergreen plant, cinnamon has actually been utilized in Ayurvedic medication to deal with respiratory and gastrointestinal issues for centuries. Ancient Egyptians utilized cinnamon as a perfume during the embalming procedure, while Romans utilized it in funeral pyres to mask the smell of burning flesh.
There are two standard types of cinnamon: Ceylon, which is grown in Sri Lanka, and cassia, which is widely produced in China and Indonesia. Cassia has the more powerful flavor and smell of the 2 and, due to its much lower cost, is what most of us buy in the store to sprinkle on our food.
Past research has actually connected cassia cinnamon to better blood sugar levels. A small study of 18 individuals with type 2 diabetes discovered cassia was more effective than diet alone in lowering blood sugar levels; It was even comparable to oral diabetes medications.
Another study of 60 people with type 2 diabetes discovered that little dosages of cassia cinnamon minimized blood sugar level levels while enhancing LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, triglycerides and overall cholesterol.
Other research studies, nevertheless, have stopped working to duplicate those findings. A 2012 review of 10 randomized controlled trials, for instance, didn’t find sufficient evidence to support using cinnamon to manage blood sugar level.
Romeo believes part of the problem is that individuals identified with type 2 diabetes are likely on numerous medications that may hinder research study results.
So he and a group of researchers in South Korea chose to focus particularly on individuals with prediabetes who were not yet on medications. South Korea was included, Romeo stated, since the rates of diab