Can Cinnamon be used as a Diabetic Remedy?
More than 20 million citizens of the United States and not less than 50 million inhabitants of this earth who have been diagnosed with ‘pre-diabetes’ are eager to find out if cinnamon can be used to cure diabetes. If there is no proper treatment or the symptoms are not taken seriously, diabetes can lead to neuropathy (damage to nerves), blindness, cardiac diseases as well as serious kidney diseases can happen.
Type 2 diabetics have a defective pancreas; it may not be able to use its own insulin or it can no longer produce insulin.
In many of the studies carried out, there is indication that blood vessels function better in the removal of free radicals which can damage the arteries when participants in the studies are given cinnamon. However, the query whether cinnamon can be a remedy for diabetes remains uncertain.
Cinnamon and Blood Sugar Control -Video Guide
Can Cinnamon Help Lower Blood Glucose and Cholesterol?
Studies with a small number of participants have been done since 2003 to find out if cinnamon can be used as a cure for diabetes. In the medical studies, cinnamon was found to reduce levels of blood glucose, triglycerides and LDL (bad) cholesterol which is a kind of fat found in the bloodstream. Further studies need to be made to reach the conclusion that cinnamon is definitely a cure for diabetes.
Since cinnamon has been found to be beneficial to our health, adding it to our food each day ought to be done. You can add cinnamon to the food you cook such as a sprinkling of cinnamon powder to rice pudding; or put some into your coffee to give that additional flavor. Cinnamon tea is a wonderful drink to enjoy in the evening.
Studies have shown that cinnamon in the diet can reduce the speed our food exits the stomach to move into the intestines, and this prevents blood glucose from a sudden increase.
However, it must be remembered that we should not take cinnamon together with herbs/supplements that, like cinnamon, can reduce blood glucose levels. Such foods are
- Siberian ginseng.
- Horse chestnut.
- Phylum.
- Garlic.
- Fenugreek.
- Bitter melon.
When taking cinnamon, a diabetic should not stop or any of your doctor’s prescribed medications for diabetes. It ought to be taken together with your medications.
Type of Cinnamon
Cassia and Ceylon are the two kinds of cinnamon known to us. Cassia, which we use when we cook or bake, is the kind which diabetics and participants in those medical studies use.
Even though there is still insufficient evidence to show that cinnamon can always lower the level of blood glucose and be considered as a means to manage diabetes, it has no bad side-effects on diabetics. However, patients with serious liver damage should limit the amount of cinnamon used.
There is no support for cinnamon’s use as a diabetic remedy, regardless of type, from the American Diabetes Association.