Is Cinnamon Beneficial For Diabetics?

Cinnamon. Yum. A favorite spice in baking, especially this time of year, may have some short-term benefits to diabetics, according to a recent article published in the Annals of Family Medicine.
An updated review of literature, including 10 randomized controlled trials, cinnamon was shown to reduce levels of fasting plasma glucose by a mean of 24.59 mg/dL.
Olivia J. Phung, PharmD, of the Western University of Health Sciences in Ponoma, California and colleagues also found that cinnamon had no significant effect on decreasing hemoglobin A1c levels.
"The studies we reviewed were small and had relatively short follow-up, from 4 to 18 weeks, which could be

the reason cinnamon had no effect on hemoglobin A1c," Phung said in an interview with MedPage Today.
Putting these results in context, the reduction in fasting plasma glucose levels of 24 mg/dL was "less than that achieved by metaformin monotherapy and somewhat more than the new oral agents, such as sitagliptin."
The review of the literature showed that cinnamon had an effect on lipid profiles, with a decrease of: 15.60 mg/dL in total cholesterol, 9.42 mg/dL in LDL cholesterol, and 29.59 mg.dL in triglycerides. Patients also saw an increase of 1.66 mg/dL in HDl cholesterol.
These changes are not as good as those seen when the patient takes statins, which tend to have a more dramatic lowering of LDL cholesterol.
"The evidence we have shows that the use of cinnamon leans toward having a benefit for diabetics, but we would like to see longer and larger studies," Phung said.
"Despite an increasing body of literature focused on the use of natural supplements in the treatment of diabetes, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) does not recommend their use because clinical evidence showing efficacy is insufficient, and they lack standardized formulations," the authors wrote as background to the study.
Phung said that more people are interested in knowing how adding natural supplements to their diet will decrease the symptoms of their chronic conditions.
Cinnamon has caught the attention of patients as a natural product because preclinical and clinical studies have shown it has an effect on insulin (although that data has been inconsistent). The reason for its healing natural properties could lie in cinnamon's active component, cinnamaldehyde, which "promotes insulin release, enhances insulin sensitivity, and increases insulin disposal."
A previous study done in 2008 by co-author William L. Baker, PharmD of the University of Connecticut, reviewed five randomized controlled trials and found no evidence of cinnamon's healing effects.
The new study included 543 patients and half of the trials required the use of oral hyperglycemic drug therapy. Patients were given either cinnamon extract or raw cinnamon powder, or a placebo. During the four to 18 weeks patients were required to take the cinnamon with food- some before, with, or after a meal.
"Cinnamon has promise in potentially being helpful when added to diabetes medication, but patients should talk to their doctor or pharmacist to see if it will go with their treatment regimen," Phung advised.
Patients who take cinnamon as a supplement should stick to the diagnosed amount, as too much cinnamon can be harmful. According to the study, potential side effects noted in animal studies included, "heptoxicity that results from coumarin isolates found in C cassia bark, decreased platelet counts, increased risk of bleeding, decreased serum total cholesterol, and triglyceride concentrations."
Reference: MedPage Today
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