Can Cinnamon Control Diabetes?

You may have heard that cinnamon can help control your blood sugar. In recent years, researchers have been studying the spice and its effects on blood sugar in patients with type 2 diabetes. It has been thought that the spice improves the muscles ability to use glucose.

In fact, a small, recently conducted study showed that cinnamon did in fact have beneficial effects on blood sugar. The problem is that since the original study, no one has been able to duplicate these results. In other words, newer studies have failed to show that cinnamon affects blood sugar in patients with type 2 diabetes.

So why the conflicting evidence? Experts are not sure. Could it be the type of cinnamon used? So far, only cassia (Chinese) cinnamon has been studied. This type of cinnamon is commonly used in the U.S., however, there are different types of cinnamon. Other variables that could cause conflicting results include the length of time of the studies and the amount of cinnamon used.

One thing that everyone can agree on is that more research must be done. In the mean time, it is safe to use up to one and one-half teaspoons of cinnamon daily, but do not expect it to lower your blood sugar. Caution should be taken as there is little information about the side effects of higher amounts of cinnamon. Higher doses of cinnamon have been related to liver toxicity.

Christi Larson, Pharm. D. is a Clinical Infusion Pharmacist, author of Empowered Medicine; A Guide for Consumers and creator of www.empoweredmedicine.com. You can read more about her by visiting www.EmpoweredMedicine.com and clicking on the 'About Us' tab. EmpoweredMedicine.com is committed to providing evidence-based medical information.