Diabetes and Cinnamon

Cinnamon Promotes Healthy Glucose-Levels ... By Marie-Elsie-Ade

Type-2 Diabetes is the most common type-of diabetes and the number of people affected by it is on the rise.-Even people-who watch carefully what they are eating may experience rise in blood-glucose-as they age or their cells may become less sensitive to the effects of-insulin.-Certain ethnic groups are more susceptible to having diabetes than-others. They-include African-Americans, Asians, Hispanics and Native Americans.

The body regulates blood sugar levels in several ways. The-most common-understood way is through insulin; thus all of the drugs targeted at-either-increasing insulin from the pancreas or making the cells more-responsive to-insulin. Insulin is released by the pancreas in response to a meal.-Insulin-will get into the cells and proper sugar (glucose) metabolism occurs.-If-insulin cannot get into the cells, then the pancreas in response will-increase-the production of insulin in an attempt to force glucose into the-cells.-However, this may not always work and the result is the ever increasing-levels-of glucose in the blood.

There are several pharmaceutical drugs used for the treatment-of diabetes.-They each act in different ways to optimize insulin sensitivity in the-body,-but ultimately the goal is to control or lower the level of blood-glucose in-the body. Your physician will be able to choose the best treatment for-you-based on your glucose levels and the reason for which your body is not-utilizing insulin properly.

There is good news for people wanting to naturally regulate-their blood-sugar. Scientists have discovered that along with weight loss and-exercise,-certain nutrients can help the body lower blood sugar naturally.-Cinnamon is-such a nutrient. Cinnamon is one of the world's most common-spices. It is used-on everything anywhere from oatmeal to cappuccino. We will discuss the-effects-of coffee on blood glucose levels later. Several studies have been-performed-that showed that cinnamon is beneficial in lowering blood glucose.

For years there have been several studies done to prove the-effects of-Cinnamon in patients with type 2 diabetes. The results of the most-recent of-these studies appeared in the May 2006 issue of the European Journal of-Clinical investigation1. The results of the study showed a 10 percent-reduction-in fasting blood glucose in the group that was given cinnamon extract-and only-a 3 percent reduction in the placebo group which led the scientists to-conclude-that the cinnamon extract seems to have a moderate effect in reducing-fasting-glucose concentrations in diabetic patients with poor glycemic control.

The above study is only the most recent done in humans that-showed reduction-of blood glucose after administration of cinnamon extract. The benefits-of-cinnamon extract have been confirmed in animal studies. For example,-when rats-were given two different doses of an oral cinnamon supplement for three-weeks,-glucose infusion into their cells more than doubled, even with the-lower dose-studied. The extract improved insulin action by enhancing the-insulin-signaling-pathway in skeletal muscle, resulting in increased glucose uptake2.

Because the incidence of cardiovascular disease is increased-up to fourfold-in type II diabetics, researchers have sought out nutrients that can-simultaneously improve glucose metabolism and lipid levels. In a recent-study-published in Diabetes Care, cinnamon has been able to reduce not only-the-glucose levels but was also able to lower the lipid levels3.

It is not surprising that the diabetes epidemic is growing. It-is caused-directly by our lifestyles and unhealthy eating habits. Fortunately, we-can implement-several easy habits in our life to reverse the effects of diabetes;-habits such-as regular exercise, nothing fancy a 30-minute walk every day or 10,000-steps-per day which will help achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Finally-we can-give our body several nutrients such as cinnamon extract which can help-our-cells with the uptake of sugar thus lowering our circulating blood-glucose.

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