Cinnamon spice produces healthier blood

New Scientist ^ | November 24, 2003 | Debora MacKenzie

[taxcontrol]

Just half a teaspoon of cinnamon a day significantly reduces blood sugar levels in diabetics, a new study has found. The effect, which can be produced even by soaking a cinnamon stick your tea, could also benefit millions of non-diabetics who have blood sugar problem but are unaware of it.

The discovery was initially made by accident, by Richard Anderson at the US Department of Agriculture's Human Nutrition Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland.

"We were looking at the effects of common foods on blood sugar," he told New Scientist. One was the American favourite, apple pie, which is usually spiced with cinnamon. "We expected it to be bad. But it helped," he says.

Sugars and starches in food are broken down into glucose, which then circulates in the blood. The hormone insulin makes cells take in the glucose, to be used for energy or made into fat.

But people with Type 1 diabetes do not produce enough insulin. Those with Type 2 diabetes produce it, but have lost sensitivity to it. Even apparently healthy people, especially if they are overweight, sedentary or over 25, lose sensitivity to insulin. Having too much glucose in the blood can cause serious long-term damage to eyes, kidneys, nerves and other organs.

Molecular mimic

The active ingredient in cinnamon turned out to be a water-soluble polyphenol compound called MHCP. In test tube experiments, MHCP mimics insulin, activates its receptor, and works synergistically with insulin in cells.

To see if it would work in people, Alam Khan, who was a postdoctoral fellow in Anderson's lab, organised a study in Pakistan. Volunteers with Type 2 diabetes were given one, three or six grams of cinnamon powder a day, in capsules after meals.

All responded within weeks, with blood sugar levels that were on average 20 per cent lower than a control group. Some even achieved normal blood sugar levels. Tellingly, blood sugar started creeping up again after the diabetics stopped taking cinnamon.

The cinnamon has additional benefits. In the volunteers, it lowered blood levels of fats and "bad" cholesterol, which are also partly controlled by insulin. And in test tube experiments it neutralised free radicals, damaging chemicals which are elevated in diabetics.

Buns and pies

"I don't recommend eating more cinnamon buns, or even more apple pie - there's too much fat and sugar," says Anderson. "The key is to add cinnamon to what you would eat normally."

The active ingredient is not in cinnamon oils. But powdered spice can be added to toast, cereal, juice or coffee.

Anderson's team were awarded patents related to MHCP in 2002. But the chemical is easily obtained. He notes that one of his colleagues tried soaking a cinnamon stick in tea. "He isn't diabetic - but it lowered his blood sugar," Anderson says.

The group now plans to test even lower doses of cinnamon in the US, and also look at long-term blood sugar management with the spice

[taxcontrol]

Encouraging news

[Judith Anne]

Fascinating, thanks for posting....

I wonder if the health-food stores have cinnamon in capsules?

[Judith Anne]

Incidently, myrrh capsules have been found to lower cholesterol in controlled studies...

[taxcontrol]

Forgive my ignorance but what, exactly is myrrh?

[Nat Turner]

I have been a type I diabetic since 99.

This is VERY good news

[Always Right]

Which one is Cinnamon Spice?

[steveo]

Myrrh is a tree resin used as incense.

[Judith Anne]

Myrrh is a spice, one of the three items said to be given to the newborn Jesus Christ (gold, frankincense, and myrrh) used to prepare bodies for burial in that time.

Myrrh capsules are very inexpensive, especially compared to Lipitor, or other cholesterol lowering drugs. I'm thrilled to hear about cinnamon's effects on diabetes...and I hope some more good studies to determine doses, etc. are conducted.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if a senior citizen with high cholesterol, diabetes and risk of heart disease could be treated with aspirin, cinnamon, and myrrh, instead of the current very expensive med?

[American72]

PING!

[taxcontrol]

Thinking about a pill that mixes fiber, cinnamon, green tea, and norther white bean extract. Call it sugar control or some such, sell a bunch, make a fortune, retire.

Hmmmm, nice dream anyway.

[muggs]

I wonder if the health-food stores have cinnamon in capsules?

If not, you should be able to buy empty capsules from a good health foof store and fill them with cinnamon from the grocery store.

[Conan the Librarian]

Myrrh was a spice used to help in the burrial service. It is pungent and covers up bad smells. It was given to Jesus by the Wise Men as a symbol of his mortality and pending death.

[Judith Anne]

Sure. A bottle of cinnamon goes for 50 cents in the grocery store...especially now, during the holidays, plentiful and cheap.

[Riley]

Wouldn't it be wonderful if a senior citizen with high cholesterol, diabetes and risk of heart disease could be treated with aspirin, cinnamon, and myrrh, instead of the current very expensive med?

At 42 I am not a 'senior citizen', but I do have really nasty heart disease. I am going to try the Myrrh for a while- and see what it does to my cholesterol.

[GailA]

There is a verse in the Bible that says that our food will be our medicine, and our medicine our food.

[geege]

Try sprinkling it in fresh coffee before you brew.....it's pretty good:0)

[T Minus Four]

a pill that mixes fiber, cinnamon, green tea, and norther white bean extract

Mmmmm, sounds yumy!

[Judith Anne]

The bottle I have, 100 capsules for around 6.50, says take two myrrh tablets three times a day. You should check for yourself, and make sure you don't have some sort of reaction to it by taking smaller doses at first, maybe a capsule a day, then increasing gradually to the recommended dose on the bottle you buy...

After a month of whatever dose you settle on, get your cholesterol checked.

I'm going to try the cinnamon tablets, small doses at first, and see what it does to my blood sugar levels...Type II diabetes runs in my family, and I'm at the right age to get it, even though my weight is low, I occasionally have a slightly elevated blood glucose. A maintenance Atkins diet is how I eat, with an occasional excess...

[S.O.S121.500]

BOOKbump

[Judith Anne]

Hmmmm....I'll try it...thanks! ;-D