Cinnamon Diabetes Treatment

Can cinnamon cure diabetes? I guess that is what one may as well ask. But before I tell you anything and you're lured into some kind of disillusion about cinnamon, make one thing clear, diabetes is not curable, it's manageable. So the cinnamon will help you control your sugar level and perhaps end your use of medication.

Well the first thing is that cinnamon and its helping to treat diabetes is still debated, many are convinced that it has positive results. But this is for type two diabetes only. (type two diabetes is non-insulin dependant diabetes). And what do the research figures and researchers have to say about this spice and its medicinal properties?

True in ancient times it was used as a medicine and is now used to give flavor to many dishes. But are its powers effective against diabetes? Here are the facts. Scientists have discovered that cinnamon does have insulin like properties and the use of about a one gram or half a teaspoon of cinnamon will help lower sugar levels. However there is a debate as to what is the chemical in cinnamon that has the sugar level lowering ability. Currently it is identified as "polyphenol type-A polymer" but previously it was thought to be "methylhydroxychalcone polymer". In addition to this studies have also shown that cinnamon lowers cholesterol levels. But Dr. Maria Collazo-Clavell, M.D of Mayo clinic and her colleagues aren't convinced saying there is not yet enough research substantiating that cinnamon will indeed help sugar levels and that it has any effect on cholesterol level.

The reason for this may be that two opinions exist about the action of cinnamon. While some say that it has insulin like ability, others say that it restores the body cell's ability to accept insulin from their own body. This may be based on the fact that people who were tested for the effects of cinnamon on sugar level continued to show lower levels of blood sugar after they had stopped taking it.

But if its cinnamon that is helping then why all the confusion? The answer lies in the correct identification of the chemical which helps the diabetic. When it was first learned that cinnamon use had a positive effect on sugar levels and the first chemical identified for this was methylhydroxychalcone polymer, people started to extract this and sell it as a medicine. Later it was discovered that polyphenol type-A polymer was actually responsible for the sugar lowering function. So now when people go out and buy a cinnamon extract for diabetes, they don't know what they are looking for. After all, as they are both chemicals extracted from cinnamon, why wouldn't they have a picture of cinnamon on the bottle? The important thing is to "read the label" and find the correctly identified chemical. Or better yet, as research is still under way and all doctors are not yet convinced on the topi, stay natural and just use pure cinnamon instead of going for the extracts. Not too difficult with cinnamon having great taste and aroma and all. Stay healthy and stay safe.

• Emma Bullock
• 31/01/2009, 2:59 PM
• 0 Comments