A new study published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society describes how large doses of cinnamon could improve measures of blood sugar control. According to the paper, the spice not only improves blood sugar control in people with prediabetes but could also slow the progression to type 2 diabetes.
Researchers from the Lorean Medical Clinical Trial Center in Seoul and the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston conducted a study involving more than 51 volunteers from both Korea and the U.S. Half were given a cinnamon supplement of 500 milligrams, taken three times a day for 12 weeks, and the other half were given a placebo.
Check-in at six weeks revealed no difference between the two groups, but at 12 weeks, participants who received cinnamon supplements showed significant improvements in measures of blood sugar control.
The new findings coincide with previous evidence that suggested cinnamon in large doses can make blood sugar levels more stable in people with type 2 diabetes. The best part is, it comes with no side effects.
According to the team behind the research, the purpose of investigating the potential of cinnamon was to find an affordable, long-term, and safe treatments in order to prevent prediabetes from progressing to type 2 diabetes.
Like all small studies, more evidence is needed until we could finally say that cinnamon works in controlling blood sugar levels as the need for more simple and affordable alternatives in diabetes treatment continue to rise.
Type 2 diabetes is one of the most expensive chronic diseases in the world, affecting 460 million adults worldwide. In the U.S. alone, type 2 diabetes contributes to more than $300 billion in annual health care costs.
Experts agree that eating a diet rich in fruit and vegetables may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by up to 50%. A study about this has been published in the British Journal of Medicine, which was especially significant as it involved more than 20,000 participants from eight countries in Europe, including the U.K., Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, France, and Denmark. The study had spanned 16 years.
People living with type 2 diabetes are constantly reminded to keep their blood sugar levels stable, and this can only be done by overhauling one's lifestyle. As this disease affects the endocrine system, it is important to increase intake antioxidants, specifically ones found in vegetables and fruits, which have more beneficial outcomes.
