[Richard157]

I have been hearing for a couple of years that cinnamon can help lower blood sugar levels. The following article does not agree with that assertion.

Diabetes News - American Diabetes Association

[JediSkipdogg]

Since the ADA agrees to it it's only about 25% true....LOL

The ADA didn't support Low Carb diets for a long time and now they finally do. There's been studies that have gone both ways on the cinnamon reasoning. I think it's mainly a long term thing and therefore it has to be taken everyday and the overall average will be lower.

[xMenace]

Originally Posted by JediSkipdogg

The ADA didn't support Low Carb diets for a long time and now they finally do.

I haven't read their statement, but my dietician tells me they neither support nor condone it. They ride the fence.

[JediSkipdogg]

Originally Posted by xMenace

I haven't read their statement, but my dietician tells me they neither support nor condone it. They ride the fence.

CarbWire - ADA Supports Low-Carb Diet For Weight Loss, Not Health

[lgvincent]

I tried it for a long time and never noticed any change.

[volleyball]

The Article seem to suggest that 1 report showed no difference. It did not say it was the ADA position. It also was focused on heart and not diabetes.
I like cinnamon. I put lots on my food. I am going to keep on using it. I don't think it is a magic pill, but a help along with eating right.

[wiseguy]

Cinnamon does help some people with type 2 diabetes control their BG levels. I place no value on anything the ADA has to say about anything.

[princesslinda]

I have used cinnamon for sometime now, in my tea and on anything I think it would taste good on. I took cinnamon capsules for awhile, but they bothered my stomach somewhat, so now I just add it to things.

I have found that cinnamon DOES in fact help my blood sugars. I can eat the same thing (ie: kashi cereal) w/o cinnamon and find my levels a little higher than if I have the cinnamon sprinkled on it.

As with most things diabetes-wise, your results may vary.

[jhausmann]

I wonder if the type makes a difference.

from Wikipedia: Cinnamon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The name cinnamon is correctly used to refer to Ceylon Cinnamon, also known as "true cinnamon" (from the botanical name C. zeylanicum). However, the related species Cassia (Cinnamomum aromaticum), Saigon Cinnamon (Cinnamomum loureiroi) and Cinnamomum burmannii are sometimes sold labeled as cinnamon, sometimes distinguished from true cinnamon as "Chinese Cinnamon", "Vietnamese cinnamon" or "Indonesian cinnamon."[citation needed] Ceylon cinnamon, using only the thin inner bark, has a finer, less dense, and more crumbly texture, and is considered to be less strong than cassia. Cassia has a much stronger (somewhat harsher) flavor than Cinnamon and is generally a medium to light reddish brown, is hard and woody in texture, and is thicker (2–3 mm thick), as all of the layers of bark are used. All of the powdered cinnamon sold in supermarkets in the United States is actually Cassia. European health agencies have recently warned against consuming high amounts of cassia, due to a toxic component called coumarin.[1] This is contained in much lower dosages in Cinnamomum burmannii due to its low essential oil content. Coumarin is known to cause liver and kidney damage in high concentrations. True Ceylon cinnamon has negligible amounts of Coumarin.

[shabbie]

Originally Posted by lgvincent

I tried it for a long time and never noticed any change.

.................

[volleyball]

The experiments were conducted using the american or fake cinnamon. I did not see any tests using the more Viet. or other real stuff. I have both kinds, I do use the Viet. kind in baking

[REDLAN]

I read the news report, and I also read the abstract from Diabetes Care, and I also looked at a discussion in a blog with an author who can afford the $15 dollar subscription to read the whole article (I personally find this OUTRAGEOUS) both additional articles are linked below.

Effect of Cinnamon on Glucose Control and Lipid Parameters -- Baker et al. 31 (1): 41 -- Diabetes Care

Junkfood Science: Cinnamon and sugar ? blood sugar, that is

The conclusion drawn by the authors was

Cinnamon does not appear to improve A1C, FBG, or lipid parameters in patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

Which is kinda blunt and to the point really. There is no evidence that cinnamon works.

Things to note.

the 5 studies were randomised double-blinded trials - the highest quality and least susceptible to biases.

the quantities of cinnamon ingested were between 1g and 6g daily (i.e. rather a lot). Would suggest that sprinkling cinnamon on your food to taste is even less likely to do anything. However it does taste nice, and I for one will be continuing to add it to my food.

re-reading the news article again, I thought overall that it was well written in the sense that it fairly accurately reflected the results that the researchers found (which I personally find astonishing)

the headline was

Cinnamon Does Not Control Blood Sugar Or Fat Levels

which is quite close to the results - although they could not claim that cinnamon didn't work only that it did not appear to work.

they did say something stupid in the article though

"The preponderance of evidence currently available does not suggest that cinnamon has the ability to decrease a person's risk of heart disease by helping them control their diabetes or lower their cholesterol,"

Duh? I guess this is why volleyball presumed that the study was about heart disease. The one thing the study did not investigate was heart disease - the claim can not be substantiated or inferred from the results.

[Old man]

Been taking cinnamon a long time and can't tell if it helps or not. I've done so many things at the same time that I have to guess at what caused which results. When I first heard of cinnamon benefits coming from the water soluble part I tried to use a coffee filter to make a tea. The boiling water and cinnamon simply made a gelatinous glob which would not pass through the filter even after hours. I suspect cinnamon behaves as any soluble fiber with similar benefits. Can't back it up but that's what I suspect.

[Alice]

I think the ADA's caution on the low-carbing is the concern of people confusing it with "no-carbing"...

I think "low carbing" is very subjective. Someone who's been eating "super-size-me" truck stop portions will think they are low-carbing when only having 45 carbs in a meal. To an extreme low-carber, 45 seems high. (30-45 seems healthy to me...) So there ya go.

I think the ADA realizes that they can't prescribe a carb plan to fit everyone and correctly stayed out of that "trend" the author-docs started with the books.

Each person should be working that out with their own doctor/nutritionist...not the ADA getting involved.

[volleyball]

I read Redlan's linked articles and I do not see how they are conclusive.
It mentioned a 90 day study which is a blip in out lives. It mentioned other things which I cannot see how they made those conclusions.
I believe that cinnamon will only help some of us. I believe it is no magic pill. Maybe it only is noticeable if you do not take pills.
Next to insulin, I think we are in the most remarkable time of diabetes discoveries. Because the progression is over a long period of time, it may be 50 years before any truths can be assumed.
I am risking my life on what I believe to be the best course for me. I will suggest my way and some will travel down the road I follow. Others will not. Everyone has to choose there own road. Maybe someday we will meet as our paths cross or join.