Cinnamon and Diabetes: Can it Help Lower Blood Sugar?

Cinnamon is a common spice that studies have shown has many health benefits, including lowering the levels of sugar and fats in the blood. Taking a half-teaspoon of cinnamon could be a way for diabetics to lower their blood sugar levels.

What it Does

• Researchers think cinnamon reduces sugar in the blood by improving the body's response to insulin. Insulin helps regulate the amount of sugar in the blood by helping the body's cells use sugar as energy.

Why Insulin Sensitivity is Important

• A lower sensitivity to insulin means the body needs more of it to move sugar into the cells. This can cause two problems: excess sugar in the blood stream until more insulin is produced and a sudden drop in blood sugar once the insulin is produced. The drop in blood sugar can cause cravings for carbohydrates and repeat the cycle.

Sugar in the Blood

• Having too much sugar in your blood can lead to nerve and organ damage over time. That is why it is important for diabetics to use diet, exercise and medication to control their blood sugar.

Which Cinnamon?

• Cinnamon comes from the bark of a tree and in many varieties. Studies show that cinnamomum cassia, the variety found in the spice aisles of U.S. grocery stores, works best in lowering blood sugar levels.

How Much Cinnamon?

• Researchers at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, which studies diabetes, suggests taking no more than a half-teaspoon a day to lower blood sugar levels over time. Consuming too much cinnamon can cause stomach upset.