Cinnamon, Opinions Differ on Benefits for Diabetics

While there is a difference of opinion among health care professionals, there may be some evidence that cinnamon can help people with diabetes in their efforts to achieve lower blood sugars levels, a cause of diabetes.

The differences of opinion are the results of inconclusive studies that have been carried out in recent years, some of which showed significant benefits in adding cinnamon to a diabetic diet while other studies showed no benefit at all.

One quarter to one half a teaspoonful should be sufficient
For the diabetic, whose primary objective in managing the diabetic condition is to achieve normal or close to normal blood sugar levels, it might be worth carrying out their own trial to see what results are obtained. But this should be done, of course, by using cinnamon only as a supplement, without changing present routines in any way. The amounts of cinnamon suggested for use are quite small, with a frequent recommendation being to use one quarter to one half of a teaspoonful each day. An easy way to take the finely powdered spice is to sprinkle the suggested amounts onto porridge or breakfast cereals.

Cinnamon is available in capsule form as a supplement designed for diabetic use and can be obtained from vitamin sections of some drugstores or health food stores. But it is also available in its powdered form at low cost in grocery stores, usually found there for its common use as a spice.

An ingredient in cinnamon appears to have an insulin-like action that might boost and enhance the activity of the normal insulin produced in the body of a diabetic person. In some diabetics, the pancreas, an important glandular organ in the body, produces insufficient insulin to meet the body’s needs.

Insulin has an important role in aiding cells of the body to absorb glucose, a sugar that enters the bloodstream after eating foods, especially carbohydrate containing foods. When there is insufficient insulin present, the cells cannot take up all of the glucose in the blood and that results in a buildup of glucose in the bloodstream to unhealthy levels, a dangerous condition. The glucose is essential to the cells of the body as a source of energy to fuel their constant metabolic activities.

For a more detailed description and discussion of cinnamon and its properties please check out Cinnamon and Diabetes and more on similar substances and diabetes topics can be found here: Diabetic Food List + Plus.

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