Cinnamon May Reduce Diabetic Blood Sugar Levels

PESHAWAR, Pakistan--Consuming 1 gram (less than half a teaspoon) of cinnamon a day may reduce blood sugar, cholesterol and triglyceride levels by as much as 20 percent in Type II diabetes patients who are not taking insulin, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (www.ars.usda.gov). Researchers divided 60 subjects randomly into six groups, where they consumed 1 g/d, 3 g/d or 6 g/d of cinnamon or placebo for 40 days. Blood sugar, cholesterol and triglyceride levels improved by an average of 20 percent in subjects who ate as little as 1 g/d of cinnamon; no advantage was seen in taking more than 1 g/d. Researchers also noted blood sugar levels started climbing when subjects stopped taking cinnamon. The study results will be published in a future issue of Diabetes Care (care.diabetesjournals.org).