Cinnamon May Not Affect Insulin Sensitivity

MAASTRICHT, Netherlands--Cinnamon may not improve insulin sensitivity in Type 2 diabetics, according to a new study published in the Journal of Nutrition (136:977-80, 2006). In the human clinical conducted at Maastricht University, 25 postmenopausal patients with Type 2 diabetes participated in a six-week intervention and received either 1.5 g/d of cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia) or a placebo. Oral glucose tolerance, blood lipid profiles and whole-body insulin sensitivity were determined at baseline, two weeks and end of study. Cinnamon supplementation did not affect the blood lipid profile, glucose tolerance or whole-body insulin sensitivity.

Tim Romero, executive vice president at Integrity Nutraceuticals International--the suppliers of the patented cinnamon extract Cinnulin PF®, noted that the study only validates the fact that levels of the active components in cinnamon can vary greatly among species. "Quantification of the active component is crucial when trying to prove efficacy," he said. "We have researched several species of Cinnamonum and found that the Type-A polymers vary greatly in concentration, with great variation even within the same class of Cinnamonum cassia."

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