Cinnamon May Not Be Good for You

Someone had to say it! This article in WebMD explains why people should not depend on cinnamon to lower blood glucose levels. It is okay to sprinkle cinnamon on oatmeal or to use it in baking when a recipe calls for it as it often improves the taste. Some people are claiming it will help you manage diabetes, but don't count on it.

I agree with the WebMD article when it says that it is not clear if cinnamon is good for diabetes. While it is true that research has produced mixed results, much of the research is limited by the lack of funds. Therefore, most of the studies are too short and too limited in the number of participants. This has caused the American Diabetes Association to reject cinnamon for use on diabetes treatment.

A few small studies have linked cinnamon to better blood glucose levels and a few studies have shown that is may help in lowering insulin resistance. In one study, volunteers ate from 1 to 6 grams of cinnamon for 40 days. (One gram of ground cinnamon is about half a teaspoon.) The researchers found that cinnamon cut cholesterol by about 18% and blood glucose levels by 24%. In other studies, the spice did not lower blood glucose levels or cholesterol levels.

Is cinnamon safe for people with diabetes? Generally, it is safe, but there are potential problems if you have liver damage. This means that you need to talk to your doctor and follow the doctor's instructions. If you have liver problems, such as fatty liver disease, be careful, because large amounts of cinnamon may exacerbate liver problems.

Talking to your doctor is even more important if you are taking other medications. This involves side effects and adverse reactions that may occur with some medications.

Then we have the complex interaction with herbs. Use caution if you also take other supplements that lower blood sugar levels, including:

• Alpha lipoic acid
• Bitter melon
• Chromium
• Devil's claw
• Fenugreek
• Garlic
• Horse chestnut
• Panax
• Siberian ginseng
• Psyllium

The same holds true with diabetes medications. If you and your doctor decide it's OK for you to try cinnamon, pay close attention to your blood sugar levels. Tell your doctor if your levels fall too low.

Taking cinnamon with drugs that affect the liver may make liver problems more likely.

Cinnamon Back in the News

Again, cinnamon is back in the news. People just won't admit that there is very little benefit for blood glucose management long term with cinnamon use. There have been more studies, but even these have not proven any long-term benefits. There have been some short-term benefits, but to-date this has not translated into any long-term benefits.


The authors, researchers at Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California, who conducted the meta-analysis caution that the cinnamon supplement studies they looked at had been fairly short. Longer duration studies might show that cinnamon does have a positive effect on A1c.


What is not admitted is important. The funds for long-term studies are not available and probably never will be and small short-term studies are not yielding the proof of what the cinnamon advocates have claimed.


The best that can be expected to-date is this - “Now a meta-analysis of 10 studies of type 2 patients who have taken cinnamon supplements concludes that while cinnamon can have positive effects on cholesterol and blood glucose levels, it does not seem to have a significant effect on A1c levels.”


The opening statement from the abstract says, “Cinnamon has been studied in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for its glycemic-lowering effects, but studies have been small and show conflicting results. A prior meta-analysis did not show significant results, but several RCTs have been published since then. We conducted an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs evaluating cinnamon’s effect on glycemia and lipid levels.”


Studies that are small have not proven valuable. This is also the conclusion of the abstract which states, “The consumption of cinnamon is associated with a statistically significant decrease in levels of fasting plasma glucose, total cholesterol, LDL-C, and triglyceride levels, and an increase in HDL-C levels; however, no significant effect on hemoglobin A1c was found. The high degree of heterogeneity may limit the ability to apply these results to patient care, because the preferred dose and duration of therapy are unclear.”


The full meta-analysis can be read here as well as the abstract.