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Cinnamon: A Natural Remedy for High Blood Sugar

Written by Tonya Mukherjee and Edited by Sorina Long.

Image by Ulrike Leone from Pixabay

In the U.S., conditions such as Type 2 diabetes are on the rise; it is estimated that Type 2 diabetes will affect 366 million people by 2030 [1].​ Type 2 diabetes is a condition characterized by insulin resistance in the body, thus resulting in high blood sugar [2]. High blood sugar levels can lead to many problems, including organ and tissue damage, which may result in diseases such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Along with modern medicine, people are looking into alternative methods of managing symptoms, and surprisingly, one everyday spice that can be found in your local supermarket has been shown to lower high blood sugar levels: cinnamon.   

There are many variations of cinnamon, but cinnamon always consists of the compounds cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid, and cinnamate. Cinnamaldehyde is the main component which contributes the most to blood sugar reduction. Cinnamon types with higher percentages of cinnamaldehyde, such as Chinese cinnamon (85-90% cinnamaldehyde), have proven to be more effective than cinnamon types with lower percentages of cinnamaldehyde, such as Ceylon cinnamon (65-70% cinnamaldehyde) [1​]​. 

Although cinnamon does not lead to weight loss, studies have shown that 1.5 – 6 grams of cinnamon significantly reduces high blood sugar levels [1​, 3​].​ Cinnamon reduces blood sugar by mimicking insulin, which is the hormone used by the body to allow cells to convert sugar to energy. Cinnamon emulates insulin by attaching to insulin receptors on the surface of cells, thus creating a channel in which sugar can enter the cell [4​]. Therefore, less sugar is found in the blood. On top of behaving like insulin, cinnamon also improves the function of insulin-dependent sugar transporters such as GLUT1 and GLUT4 in fat cells [4]. The increased activity of GLUT1 and GLUT4 is associated with higher levels of protein in fat cells, which results in increased and improved energy creation and muscle formation.

Along with reducing blood sugar levels, cinnamon has also been found to reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels and the number of fatty acids in the body ​[3]. However, the reasoning behind the phenomena is still unknown ​[5]​. LDL cholesterol is considered bad cholesterol, as it often leads to plaque build-up in the arteries. Meanwhile, studies show that high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels increase with the consumption of cinnamon. HDL cholesterol is considered good cholesterol, as it is responsible for removing fats and bad cholesterol in the body and taking it to the liver for reuse or excretion ​[3]​. When fatty acids remain in the bloodstream, they can hinder metabolic pathways, such as insulin function, and cause conditions such as insulin resistance [6].  

 Although studies show that cinnamon may help control high blood sugar levels, studies are limited; and, because most studies depend on volunteers, there may be bias [1]​ [3].​ For example, in a study of weight loss, volunteers may participate with only weight loss in mind, and their results may become exaggerated through experiment manipulation and/or outside interference, such as adding exercise to an experimental diet. Because of voluntary bias during experimentation, it is not possible to generalize results. However most available studies on cinnamon often have similar results in both healthy and unhealthy individuals alike; therefore, it is likely that cinnamon does help regulate blood sugar levels. Another thing to note is that although cinnamon works well on its own, it is best paired with a healthy diet and exercise to maintain blood sugar ​[3].  

References:

  1. Kizilaslan, N., Erdem Z. N.. (2019). The Effect of Different Amounts of Cinnamon​ Consumption on Blood Glucose in Health Adult Individuals. Hindawi​​, 2019:​1-9​ 
  2. Type 2 Diabetes.”​CDC: Center for Disease Control and Prevention. 2019, https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/type2.html
  3. Askari, F., Rashidkhani, B., Hekmatdoost, A.. (2013). Cinnamon may have therapeutic​ benefits on lipid profile, liver enzymes, insulin resistance, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease patients. Science Direct,2014:​143-148​
  4. Cao, H., Graves, J. D., Anderson, A. R., (2010). Cinnamon extract regulates glucose​ transporter and insulin-signaling gene expression in mouse adipocytes. Phytomedicine, 2010: 1027-1032​
  5. Moll, Jennifer.​ “Can Taking Cinnamon Lower Your Cholesterol?” ​Very Well Health. 2020. https://www.verywellhealth.com/can-cinnamon-lower-cholesterol-698109
  6. Kung, C., Murphy, E. M.. ​(2016). The role of the p53 tumor suppressor in metabolism anddiabetes. ​The Journal of Endocrinology.​231:​61-75

Published in Medicine

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