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Recent studies have
determined that consuming as little as one-half
teaspoon of Cinnamon each day may reduce blood
sugar, "bad" cholesterol, and triglyceride
levels by as much as 20% in Type II diabetes
patients who are not taking insulin.
Cinnamon Spice Produces Healthier
Blood
November 24th 2003 - Cinnamon
significantly reduces blood sugar levels in
diabetics.
Sugars and starches in food are broken down into
glucose, which then circulates in the blood. The
hormone insulin makes cells take in the glucose,
to be used for energy or made into fat. But
people with Type 1 diabetes do not produce
enough insulin. Those with Type 2 diabetes
produce it, but have lost sensitivity to it.
Even apparently healthy people, especially if
they are overweight, sedentary or over 25, lose
sensitivity to insulin. Having too much glucose
in the blood can cause serious long-term damage
to eyes, kidneys, nerves and other organs.
Molecular Mimic - The active
ingredient in cinnamon turned out to be a
water-soluble polyphenol compound called MHCP.
In test tube experiments, MHCP mimics insulin,
activates its receptor, and works
synergistically with insulin in cells. To see if
it would work in people, Alam Khan, who was a
postdoctoral fellow in Anderson's lab, organized
a study in Pakistan. Volunteers with Type 2
diabetes were given one, three or six grams of
cinnamon powder a day, in capsules after meals.
All responded within weeks, with blood sugar
levels that were on average 20 per cent lower
than a control group. Some even achieved normal
blood sugar levels. Tellingly, blood sugar
started creeping up again after the diabetics
stopped taking cinnamon. The cinnamon has
additional benefits. In the volunteers, it
lowered blood levels of fats and "bad"
cholesterol, which are also partly controlled by
insulin. And in test tube experiments it
neutralized free radicals, damaging chemicals
which are elevated in diabetics.
Cinnamon Helps Type 2 Diabetes - Also Helps
Cholesterol
December 5th, 2003 - A spicy tip: Cinnamon
can improve glucose and cholesterol levels in
the blood. For people with type 2 diabetes, and
those fighting high cholesterol, it's important
information. Researchers have long speculated
that foods, especially spices, could help treat
diabetes. In lab studies, cinnamon, cloves, bay
leaves, and turmeric have all shown promise in
enhancing insulin's action, writes researcher
Alam Khan, PhD, with the NWFP Agricultural
University in Peshawar, Pakistan. His study
appears in the December issue of Diabetes Care.
Botanicals such as cinnamon can improve glucose
metabolism and the overall condition of
individuals with diabetes - improving
cholesterol metabolism, removing artery-damaging
free radicals from the blood, and improving
function of small blood vessels, he explains.
Onions, garlic, Korean ginseng, and flaxseed
have the same effect. In fact, studies with
rabbits and rats show that fenugreek, curry,
mustard seeds, and coriander have
cholesterol-improving effects. But this is the
first study to actually pin down the effects of
cinnamon, writes Kahn. Studies have shown that
cinnamon extracts can increase glucose
metabolism, triggering insulin release - which
also affects cholesterol metabolism. Researchers
speculated that cinnamon might improve both
cholesterol and glucose. And it did!
The 60 men and women in Khan's study had a
diagnosis of type 2 diabetes for an average of 6
1-2 years but were not yet taking insulin. The
participants in his study had been on
anti-diabetic drugs that cause an increase in
the release of insulin. Each took either
wheat-flour placebo capsules or 500 milligram
cinnamon capsules.
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