by Jenann Elias

A recent study has found that a half teaspoon of cinnamon daily can reduce blood sugar levels in diabetics. This was discovered accidentally by Richard Anderson of the US Department of Agriculture’s Human Nutrition Research Center.  

"We were looking at the effects of common foods on blood sugar," he told New Scientist magazine. One food item tested was apple pie, which is spiced with cinnamon. "We expected it (cinnamon) to be bad. But it helped," Anderson said.

People with Type 1 diabetes do not produce enough insulin, and people with Type 2 diabetes do produce insulin, but have lost sensitivity to it. People who do not have diabetes but who are overweight, sedentary, or over the age of 25, also sometimes lose sensitivity to insulin. Too much glucose can cause serious damage to the eyes, kidneys, and nerves. 

The active ingredient in cinnamon is a water-soluble compound called MHCP. It is not found in cinnamon oils, only in cinnamon sticks and powder. In laboratory experiments, MHCP has been found to mimic insulin, activating its receptor, and working alongside insulin in cells. 

To see if MHCP would work in people, Alam Khan, who worked with Anderson on the blood sugar experiments, organized his own study in Pakistan. Volunteers who had Type 2 diabetes were given one to six grams of cinnamon powder in capsule form after meals.  

Within weeks, the group given the cinnamon capsules had blood sugar levels 20 percent lower on average than a control group, and some had normal blood sugar levels. If members of the group stopped taking the cinnamon, their blood sugar levels steadily increased again. Anderson plans to test low doses of cinnamon in the US, and also plans to look at the long-term effects on blood sugar maintained by the spice. 

Cinnamon has other benefits as well. It was shown to have lowered blood levels of fats and bad cholesterol in the volunteer group. In test tube experiments, it also seemed to neutralize free radicals, which are damaging chemicals that are at elevated levels in diabetics. 

The effect can also benefit millions of non-diabetics who have blood sugar problems.  Anderson observed one of his colleagues soaking a cinnamon stick in tea. "He isn’t diabetic—but it lowered his blood sugar…The key is to add cinnamon to what you would eat normally," Anderson said.

Powdered cinnamon can be added to may foods including cereals, juices or coffee.

Source:  http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn4413.
Journal reference:  Diabetes Care Nov. 2003 (vol. 26, pgs. 3215-3218).