While health-care professionals differ in their views on whether cinnamon can help persons with diabetes achieve normal blood sugar levels, there are many supporting opinions to suggest that its use could be beneficial to type-2 diabetics.
A reference to opposing views is given below.
For some, it is a daily struggle to reach even close to normal blood sugar levels and any reasonable recommendation by a qualified health authority will usually be considered carefully.
In the case of cinnamon, An amount suggested for use in diabetes is small, available from many grocery stores and is an inexpensive product already found in many kitchens where it is used as spice for flavoring food.
Cinnamon appears to have a property similar to insulin that can increase the effectiveness of the insulin that is produced by the body but which finds resistance by cells of the body of a person with diabetes.
Diabetes is a serious disease in which insulin resistance leads to the accumulation of glucose in the bloodstream.
The normal function of insulin in relation to glucose is that it acts as an essential mediator with the cells of the body to allow them to take in the glucose that is then used by the cells to fuel other metabolic processes that sustain life.
When the process is impaired in that way, both above normal blood glucose levels and insulin levels result.
High blood sugar levels, defined as diabetes, if left untreated can lead to serious health complications and excess insulin can lead to increased body fat, also an unhealthy condition.
Recommended Dosage A commonly recommended amount to take is one quarter, or one half, of a teaspoonful daily.
This recommendation is based on a study, undertaken in 2003, reported in the journal "Diabetes Care", where 60 type-2 diabetic men and women participated by taking either a quantity of cassia cinnamon or a placebo.
The results indicated that the cinnamon takers were able to lower their blood sugars by 18 to 29 percent whereas there was no change in blood sugar levels for those taking the placebo.
Other beneficial blood chemistry effects were obtained through the cinnamon use, lower triglycerides, a blood fat, and lower levels of LDL, often referred to as the "bad" cholesterol.
Other similar studies have been undertaken, some support the above finding but others do not, so there is as yet no conclusive evidence of its effectiveness in helping to achieve normal blood sugar levels.
Other opinions: Cinnamon is not recommended Based on a number of such studies that cannot confirm the benefits claimed for cinnamon, the opinion of many in the healthcare field, some of whom are concerned with other safety factors, is that cinnamon should not be recommended for use under current available evidence.
A reference to opposing views is given below.
For some, it is a daily struggle to reach even close to normal blood sugar levels and any reasonable recommendation by a qualified health authority will usually be considered carefully.
In the case of cinnamon, An amount suggested for use in diabetes is small, available from many grocery stores and is an inexpensive product already found in many kitchens where it is used as spice for flavoring food.
Cinnamon appears to have a property similar to insulin that can increase the effectiveness of the insulin that is produced by the body but which finds resistance by cells of the body of a person with diabetes.
Diabetes is a serious disease in which insulin resistance leads to the accumulation of glucose in the bloodstream.
The normal function of insulin in relation to glucose is that it acts as an essential mediator with the cells of the body to allow them to take in the glucose that is then used by the cells to fuel other metabolic processes that sustain life.
When the process is impaired in that way, both above normal blood glucose levels and insulin levels result.
High blood sugar levels, defined as diabetes, if left untreated can lead to serious health complications and excess insulin can lead to increased body fat, also an unhealthy condition.
Recommended Dosage A commonly recommended amount to take is one quarter, or one half, of a teaspoonful daily.
This recommendation is based on a study, undertaken in 2003, reported in the journal "Diabetes Care", where 60 type-2 diabetic men and women participated by taking either a quantity of cassia cinnamon or a placebo.
The results indicated that the cinnamon takers were able to lower their blood sugars by 18 to 29 percent whereas there was no change in blood sugar levels for those taking the placebo.
Other beneficial blood chemistry effects were obtained through the cinnamon use, lower triglycerides, a blood fat, and lower levels of LDL, often referred to as the "bad" cholesterol.
Other similar studies have been undertaken, some support the above finding but others do not, so there is as yet no conclusive evidence of its effectiveness in helping to achieve normal blood sugar levels.
Other opinions: Cinnamon is not recommended Based on a number of such studies that cannot confirm the benefits claimed for cinnamon, the opinion of many in the healthcare field, some of whom are concerned with other safety factors, is that cinnamon should not be recommended for use under current available evidence.