Bitter Melon and Cinnamon lowers blood sugar levels

[macy]

Consuming Bitter Melon and Cinnamon lowers blood sugar levels

Hi folks, just want to pass the good news around what I have found to lower my blood sugar levels and regain stamina and concentration. I live on the West Coast where there is a heavy Asian influence. An Asian friend suggested I research the Net on Bitter Melon and Cinnamon. Bitter Melon definetely, You can eat it but need to cook it first because it is extremely bitter.

I also started taking Cinnamon pills (6-500mg pills a day) and have noticed a big difference in my blood sugars dropping as well as regaining stamina and concentration.

Now I'm not falling asleep all the time and almost feel like my pre-diabetic days!:wavey:

[spike]

Consuming Bitter Melon and Cinnamon lowers blood sugar levels

Hi folks, just want to pass the good news around what I have found to lower my blood sugar levels and regain stamina and concentration. I live on the West Coast where there is a heavy Asian influence. An Asian friend suggested I research the Net on Bitter Melon and Cinnamon. Bitter Melon definetely, You can eat it but need to cook it first because it is extremely bitter.

I also started taking Cinnamon pills (6-500mg pills a day) and have noticed a big difference in my blood sugars dropping as well as regaining stamina and concentration.

Now I'm not falling asleep all the time and almost feel like my pre-diabetic days!:wavey:

Why does this nonsense always come from someone making their very FIRST post???

Will I be able to throw away my pump and also hit home runs like Barry Bonds if I down a few cinnamon pills?

sigh...

[4519]

You know spike - i have always wondered that myself. We all already know that cinnamon does help with bs's. I was not aware of real power of it.

I hope macy adds more information (ok, cma statement, just in case)

[JediSkipdogg]

Normally I would disagree and say this is non-sense but in studies this has actually been proven true. There's proof that one-six grams of cinnamon daily can reduce overall BG levels by 19-29%, triglyceride decreases of 23 to 30 percent, total cholesterol went down 13 to 26 percent, and LDL cholesterol dropped 10 to 24 percent.

I don't know about the bitter melon part, but I do know that vinegar is another myth that is true to reduce BG levels. Vinegar in a sense acts like Symlin and has been proven to reduce the peak from starchy food when given just before eating them.

Believe it...or not...but it's true.

[gettingby]

I have also noticed that the ones who make something like this their very first post do not tell you if they are type 1 or type 2. Some things that may be beneficial to a type 2 can not be used by a type 1. There are alot of "newbies" on here who are looking to find new "cures" or "treatments" and may not know that they can do more harm than good.
Macy, a good way to start out here is to introduce yourself and tell us some things about you.

[duck]

I'm sitting here scratching my head wondering if you two fellas are being sarcastic?

[4519]

I don't think so. There are different things that assist with insulin resistance that are not prescribed. It is not that they exist, it is how they come to our attention. If macy is sincere then I am wrong and will be the first to appologize. I spoke up with socks first posted but have found the information useful. I thought, and still do, that the approach was wrong and made people angry or made them feel like they were stupid and just did not get it, or whatever. i hope all that has been worked out and I recommend reading what socks had to offer. It may not be the answer, but it is certainly informative.

[duck]

I remember NIH dove into the topic of cinamon back in the early 90's and came away about six years later and said something to effect of it's great to cook with, but no medicinal value could be found.

[duck]

Meh. I could be wrong, too. I don't know if this is a legit site, I have yet to find a hit on NIH...

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16634838

[JediSkipdogg]

I remember NIH dove into the topic of cinamon back in the early 90's and came away about six years later and said something to effect of it's great to cook with, but no medicinal value could be found.

At one point it was found to be innefective. But that was before better testing methods could be done. Then further research later on was done and it was found that cinnanom could help lower levels in patients making no other changes.

[duck]

At one point it was found to be innefective. But that was before better testing methods could be done. Then further research later on was done and it was found that cinnanom could help lower levels in patients making no other changes.

Apparently, for Type II's...See my last post. But this is all I can find on NIH.gov, and it was buried in another study, but I'll put it out there for the more motivated than me...

140 Khan A, Safdar M, Ali Khan MM, Khattak KN, Anderson RA.
Cinnamon improves glucose and lipids of people with type 2
diabetes. Diabetes Care 2003; 26:3215-8.

I took cinnamon for a while and it did nothing for me except make my throat burn and give me an upset stomach. It had about as much effect on my sugars as anything with the word "chromium" in it.

[JediSkipdogg]

Good point, it should be added that cinnamon only works for type 2 diabetics. Sorry type 1ers, no help here.

[Penny]

I took cinnamon daily for about 2 months, and saw no change. I have also eaten pickles, used vinegar, and drank beer or wine , nothing seems to lower my BS every day, but I keep trying. :bebored:

[4519]

I don't have the link, but the ADA says they have found that cinnamon does work for high carb meals. Take that for whatever its worth.

[macy]

Jedi, thank you so very much with your positive reply. I'm am always looking for alternative ways to get my blood sugar levels lowered and really appreciate your positive reponse compared to the other two responses. I thought this forum was to "help one another" but considering the other two negative responses, I'm beginning to have doubts about continuing with this forum. Are most people in this forum as negative as the other two? Normally I would disagree and say this is non-sense but in studies this has actually been proven true. There's proof that one-six grams of cinnamon daily can reduce overall BG levels by 19-29%, triglyceride decreases of 23 to 30 percent, total cholesterol went down 13 to 26 percent, and LDL cholesterol dropped 10 to 24 percent.

I don't know about the bitter melon part, but I do know that vinegar is another myth that is true to reduce BG levels. Vinegar in a sense acts like Symlin and has been proven to reduce the peak from starchy food when given just before eating them.

Believe it...or not...but it's true.

[JediSkipdogg]

Jedi, thank you so very much with your positive reply. I'm am always looking for alternative ways to get my blood sugar levels lowered and really appreciate your positive reponse compared to the other two responses. I thought this forum was to "help one another" but considering the other two negative responses, I'm beginning to have doubts about continuing with this forum. Are most people in this forum as negative as the other two?

No, just some people don't like others coming on here and posting "miracle" solutions as their first group of posts. Glad I could support you. It's interesting all the odd control methods out there...too bad most of them just taste nasty, like the vinegar one I posted. I don't know many ways one can drink vinegar with every meal and it not taste horible. Just like cinnanom with everything, that would get old fast, lol.

[camjen1]

I thought this forum was to "help one another" but considering the other two negative responses, I'm beginning to have doubts about continuing with this forum. Are most people in this forum as negative as the other two?

SOCKS is this you again?:D

[4519]

Jedi,

"....It's interesting all the odd control methods out there...too bad most of them just taste nasty, like the vinegar one I posted...." I have tried a couple ways to drink vinegar and came up with one way that kind of works. I mix it with water and add a packet of stevia. It tastes like bad wine, but drinkable...

[Harold]

The best reference site I have found for Herbs and Supplements. (http://healthlibrary.epnet.com/GetContent.aspx?token=b696f142-edf4-4d7f-a7ba-dc89ceee0ace&chunkiid=33802&siteid=83CDF2B9-1739-11D4-A2D1-00508B62BE1F)
There are a lot herbs and supplements we can take that help some, but they are not cures and do not help everyone. Over time the affects are usually inconsistent due to getting herbs that are not fresh and/or supplements of different potency. There is no regulation or standard to go by in the manufacturing of them. So it's really a **** shoot, even when buying from the same distributor. Would not recomend taking them in place of meds, but if you can afford them and they lower your A1c by a half percent go for it.

[gettingby]

I thought this forum was to "help one another" but considering the other two negative responses, I'm beginning to have doubts about continuing with this forum. Are most people in this forum as negative as the other two?
It's not that we are negative, Macy. It's just that we have had so many people come on here for the wrong reasons. Their posts always start out like your first post did. We have just become a little cautious.
I'm sorry if my post offended you. It's just so much nicer to have the first post tell us something about the poster so that when help is requested, we have something to look back to and not ask the same questions over and over again.

[spike]

It's not that we are negative, Macy. It's just that we have had so many people come on here for the wrong reasons. Their posts always start out like your first post did. We have just become a little cautious.
I'm sorry if my post offended you. It's just so much nicer to have the first post tell us something about the poster so that when help is requested, we have something to look back to and not ask the same questions over and over again.


To the OP: What gettingby just said.

[RickLV]

Macy,

You need to give us more information. Are you T-I or T-II, what is your weight, what was you Fasting, B4Meal, PP readings before you made changes, what are they after, etc?

Your heart may be in the right place, but for those that have been dealing with this disease for a while are just not going to jump when someone just says "I do this and it works". This disease varies; some are more or less IR, some have more or less beta-cells remaining (Type II's have none), and so on... See what I'm saying?

As you are new to all this, you're forgiven. LOL

Welcome to the board.

I don't have the link, but the ADA says they have found that cinnamon does work for high carb meals. Take that for whatever its worth.
45,

Interesting. I've been taking 1000mg cin with my regular suppliments with each meal and have been unable to show that it helps at all. But, your post is interesting since I don't take big carbs (6/12/12).

[butterflykisses]

Macy,
This disease varies; some are more or less IR, some have more or less beta-cells remaining (Type II's have none), and so on... See what I'm saying?


Huh? You mean Type 1's?

[Lex4153]

I read about cinnamon and gave it a shot (no pun intended), sprinkled a bunch on some oatmeal. My blood sugar was about 15 pts less than the day before, and the meal had been much more low-carb. Asked my doc about it and she said a lot of her patients swear that cinnamon has lowered their blood sugars, though not much. It's not a miracle worker and typically lowers blood sugar just a teeny bit. But if it works, every bit helps.

I agree with the others and would like to hear more about you, macy.

[spike]

I read about cinnamon and gave it a shot (no pun intended), sprinkled a bunch on some oatmeal. My blood sugar was about 15 pts less than the day before, and the meal had been much more low-carb. Asked my doc about it and she said a lot of her patients swear that cinnamon has lowered their blood sugars, though not much. It's not a miracle worker and typically lowers blood sugar just a teeny bit. But if it works, every bit helps.

I agree with the others and would like to hear more about you, macy.

The average DM would do better to walk 1 block. That should lower bg's more than the cinnamon would, and they'll be getting a bit of exercise as well. :)

[RickLV]

Huh? You mean Type 1's?

Right Kath, I meant Type-I.

[aeromarv]

I am a type I and I tried the cinnamon for a while. It seemed to help a little but never all the time. But then again, maybe it was the ole placebo effect and by believing this would work I perhaps ate a bit better. For instance I was putting cinnimon on my food, so I ate things cinnamon complimented, like say fresh fruit instead of cereal!

But like I said, it seemed to work sometimes, didn't othertimes. I gave up. Have had much more success with an endo that knows what he's doing and adjusted the insulin therapy than I have with herbal home remedies.

[dgrilli]

I heard the Claims about Cinn also and actualy tried it I like my breath and I thought it was helping but my meter didn't change.. I've heard claims that Cinn swallowed in a capsule is better because the saliva messes up it's properties.

Who knows it really didn't help me. Also heard that it has a few nasty long term effects from one of the susbstances in it.

[ProudNanaof5]

Macy.. I have tried every herb and supplement that there is out there. At first, I had some success. But I kept losing 2+ pounds a week. Then the supplements ( I took cinn, bitter melon, chronium, just to name a few) started to not even do anything. My bs just kept going higher and higher, as I got weaker and weaker. I lost 150 lbs while taking "care" of myself. I finally had to give up my holier than thou attitude and go to the endo. I found out I was a type 1 . Altho I do believe that my pancreas did work at the first a little then it burned out completely. I have never had any faith in Doctors. Bad experiences with them. But I got to the point of "no return" and I had precious grandchildren that I wanted to be around for them. Sometimes you have to do things you don't want to do. I am finding that out everyday of my life. I do believe that you were just wanting to inform us that cin and bitter melon were options if we hadn't heard of it. But most of us here are way past that stage. I'm not saying it wouldn't help in some way but I know that what my endo is doing for me is what I must endure to ensure that I am around for my babies.. So welcome Macy..You can learn lots of useful info here. :biggrin:

[Cinnabon]

I have recently discovered Fiber Therapy has worked great for me. My BS is a bit easier to manage.

[dgrilli]

Fibger therapy? Where do you get it and what is the brand name?