Can Cinnamon Help Control Diabetes?
Cinnamon has been used in different cultures for centuries. Today it is used as a spice throughout the world. There has been a lot of research on cinnamon recently. Researchers are trying to figure out if it can be used to control diabetes.
The research is still in its early stages, so it is too early to say for sure how much effect cinnamon has on diabetes. Some studies suggest that it may reduce blood glucose in patients with diabetes. Other studies found no such association.
More research is needed. But you can always try cinnamon as a supplement to the diet that your doctor has recommended to you. If your doctor has said yes to trying cinnamon, then there is nothing in the way of it.
What is diabetes?
There are two types of diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2.
Diabetes 1
Type 1 diabetes is a chronic disease that can neither be cured nor prevented. Once you have been diagnosed, it is therefore unfortunately a disease that you will have to live with for the rest of your life. The disease most often affects children and adolescents, but older people can also get it.
No one knows why type 1 diabetes occurs. It is an autoimmune disease, which means that the body’s immune system attacks its own healthy cells in the pancreas. These damaged cells can no longer produce the vital hormone, insulin.
Insulin acts as a kind of door on the cells that allows the sugar in the blood to enter the cell to be burned off as energy. Without insulin, sugar cannot enter. Therefore, your blood sugar stays high and it makes you sick.
This is why you have to give your body insulin if you have type 1 diabetes.
Diabetes 2
Type 2 diabetes is a completely different disease that is far more common. The disease is both hereditary and lifestyle-related. 80% of diabetes 2 patients are overweight.
Type 2 diabetes is due to the fact that you develop insulin resistance over time. Your body does not produce enough insulin nor can it utilize the insulin as well as before. This means that the blood glucose cannot access the cells and thus cannot be converted into energy in the body’s cells.
How to prevent diabetes
You may also be concerned about whether you are at risk of developing diabetes 1 or 2.
Diabetes 1 cannot be prevented
Diabetes 1 is an autoimmune disease that cannot be prevented. But there is some connection between the disease and the environment. Here are some of the factors associated with a higher risk of developing diabetes 1:
- Environment
- Heredity
- Psyche
- Intestinal flora and caesarean section
How to prevent diabetes 2
Diabetes 2 is usually caused by a mixture of heredity and lifestyle. Here are some of the factors that may increase your risk of developing diabetes 2:
- Heredity (others in the family who have diabetes)
- Overweight
- Lack of exercise
- Smoking
- Unhealthy diet
Even if you have a family history of diabetes, you can still stay healthy. You can prevent the disease by:
- eat healthy
- Avoid smoking
- Avoid being overweight
- Move every day
Can cinnamon control diabetes?
One of the studies showing cinnamon might help control diabetes was published in 2003. The study included 60 patients with type 2 diabetes. Each individual received between 1-6 grams of cinnamon in their daily diet.
- After 40 days of treatment, the blood glucose had dropped between 18% and 29%.
However, another study published in 2013 in the Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine , which made use of more stringent approaches and included a larger number of subjects, found no correlation.
A 2016 study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics compared all existing research on the effect of cinnamon on blood glucose. There were a total of 11 studies, and they all showed some reduction in blood sugar in the subjects.
Unfortunately, blood sugar did not drop enough to be effective, according to the American Diabetes Association’s treatment plan.
So maybe cinnamon can be useful as a supplement to conventional treatment, but not as a means that can stand alone to control diabetes. Cinnamon, on the other hand, has no negative effect on blood sugar – so there is nothing wrong with using it as a healthy spice that can replace sugar and salt.
Recipe for cinnamon infusion to control diabetes
There are many types of cinnamon. We recommend you use Ceylon cinnamon (Cinnamomum Zeylanicum).
Avoid eating too much cinnamon, too large amounts of cinnamon may not be good for you in some cases.
- 3 or 4 grams of cinnamon every day is enough to get something out of it.
You can eat your daily dose of cinnamon as you like. For example, you can sprinkle it on your oatmeal, mix it in a smoothie or sprinkle it over fresh fruit. It all depends on what you prefer. You can also drink it as a tea. We show you how to make a delicious cinnamon infusion here:
Ingredients
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (2 g)
- 250 ml of water
Course of action
- Boil the water and pour it into a mug. Mix the cinnamon powder in the water. Cover the mug with a plate or lid.
- Let it soak for 5-10 minutes. Say the cinnamon off.
How to drink tea:
- Drink the tea on an empty stomach in the morning and repeat again in the afternoon.
Note: If you are already following a treatment plan for your diabetes, consult your doctor before trying this remedy.
Diabetes is a complex disease. But you can lead a normal life and control diabetes if you live healthy, move every day and avoid tobacco, fat and sugar.
