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

[Quix]

Chinese have considered cinnamon a medicine for a VERY LONG time.

[Riley]

Thanks, JA.

I am waiting to see if they can come up with something that'll safely remove arterial plaque and clotting from blood vessels. THAT'LL be the thing. In the meantime, there isn't much at most GNC-type stores that'll cause big problems, if it is used with a dose of sense and a degree of self-education.

I had a heart attack about 4 weeks ago. I got an Angioplasty and a stent in an occluded graft for it- felt immediately better.

[Marie]

Both my husband and best friend had high blood pressure and cholest. issues. My friend tried Flax seed oil and had a complete recovery in 7 days. My husband had the same results in 5. It's the best kept secret, as far as I'm concerned.

[Judith Anne]

You take blood thinners, of course?

I take aspirin several times a day for arthritis, in my opinion it's helping my heart...

[Riley]

Flax seed oil, eh? Thanks Marie, I will do some research on it.

What did it do- lower the LDL? Is the effect temporary, or is ongoing dosage necessary? We're there other dietary changes that took place at the same time?

[Spirited]

"Moral of the story is that its up to me to listen to advice, but make my own decisions. I fall significantly short of being impressed by medical credentials alone, anymore."

"The human cost of medical errors is high. Based on the findings of one major study, medical errors kill some 44,000 people in U.S. hospitals each year. Another study puts the number much higher, at 98,000. Even using the lower estimate, more people die from medical mistakes each year than from highway accidents, breast cancer, or AIDS.
> Institute of Medicine, 2000" http://www.iatrogenic.org/contents.html

You have joined an enormous group of people who understand that unless you think for yourself and sometimes go outside the box you are not likely to have a very long life.
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2003/jul2003_cover_book_01.html

If you read simply the side effects of medications prescribed you can often decide that the side effects are worse than the problem and use proper discretion.

Life Extension Foundation Magazine had a lengthy article this year on how, why and in what circumstance to reduce the medications you are taking in order to preserve your health and life. Believe that article is available for perusal online.
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2003/mar2003_cover_effects_01.html

Wisdom dictates that you choose very carefully.

[Baby Bear]

Have you tried eating garlic? Raw is best, but other forms are OK.

[twigs]

Thank you for this information. I was recently put on Lovastatin and took myself off of it in just three weeks because of the side effects. I told the doctor that I would do other things but I would NOT take that medication. Is myrrh ever used to spice foods? Can you find it as a cooking spice?

[Riley]

Thanks for the links. I have to go take care of a client right now, so I'll check them out later.

[Spirited]

You all might also look into this:
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2001/june2001_cover_policosanol.html

[Riley]

Have you tried eating garlic? Raw is best, but other forms are OK.

I love the stuff to death.

[pollywog]

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

Thanks for this tidbit. Off to try it.....

[cherry]

Riley....you take care of yourself....appreciate your commentary from your exp...

[Marie]

I know that blood pressure was restored to normal in both of them within one week and dropped a little lower in the week after that. (My husband went from 145/90 to 125/60 and my friend went from 175/145 - on blood pressure medication - to 128/72 with no medication in two weeks) My husbands bad cholesterol was borderline high (I'm not sure of the numbers) and it's now low/normal. My friend was a walking heart attack and she was normal when the dr checked her again a month later. They both took one to two 1000 mg flax seed oil a day.

My friend found out about it while visiting her dr for her high bp. While in the waiting room, she started chatting with another woman was waiting with her husband. The lady told my friend about the oil and my friend confirmed the story with their doctor. He told her to try it, that it couldn't hurt. He had only seen this one patient who tried it, so he wasn't completly convinced that the oil worked. Now, after my friend's trial, he getting cautiously optimistic.

There were NO other lifestyle changes for either of them. Now my hubby is nagging his mother to just TRY the oil and he NEVER nags. If it's going to work for you, you'll know it within a month. If not, it won't hurt you at all. (Unless you're alergic to flax!) ;-)

[cherry]

I would love to know the breakdown of the "hospitals" listed in that first study, because I think it wasn't just hospitals, but nursing homes as well, where you have a clientale that is sickly from the start...

medical errors sometimes are confused with wrong outcomes or unwanted outcomes....like giving someone a unit of blood, and having them develop an allergic reaction and possibly death....

or prescribing one medicine that does not work or has too many untoward effects that it actually harms a pt.

Of course, there are out right mistakes...wrong pt, wrong procedure, etc..etc...

Health care has lengthened our life spans so much that I think that some people think that there is no reason to die...

At the turn of the century, I think the American average age of death was like in the 40's.....unbelievable where we are today...

so, you can chose NOT to visit your doctor or hospital, and not be subject to all those "medical errors" but your best chance is working with the health care system....

EXCEPT....you must pay attention, think thru all treatments or RX's....do your own research, and always question everything....why, how, when, etc.....

there is so much variance in health care offered, that the consumer must be alert.....

[Spirited]

You might try the top left protocols search on this page under Cardiovascular;
http://www.lef.org/protocols/

If they do not guide you to look at homocysteine please do so as well.

Research on oral chelation might interest you, too.

GNC products may do little harm but they are not necessarily of quality to accomplish your purposes, either. There is great profit in the field and the difference between the quality of products is frquently enormous while the price is usually negligible. The integrity of the manufacturer is a definite factor.

[ibheath]

Bump for later

[pepsionice]

This makes me wonder what else Grandma used to use in her herbs and teas....that would help improve our health? I think all of these millions in research are just wasted going down the drain...we ought to go back to the basics.

[bootyist-monk]

JERRY: That's the last babka. They got the last babka.

ELAINE: I know. They're going in first with the last babka.

JERRY: That was our babka.

ELAINE: You can't beat a babka.

JERRY: We had that babka.

ELAINE: (exhales) They're going to be heroes.

JERRY: Well what are we going to do now. If we can't get the babka the
whole thing's useless.

ELAINE: Well how about a carrot cake?

JERRY: Carrot cake? Now w-why is that a cake? You don't make carrots
into a cake. I'm sorry.

ELAINE: Black Forrest?

JERRY: Black Forrest? Too scary. You're in the Forrest, oohh.

JERRY: How about a Napoleon?

ELAINE: Napoleon? Who's he to have a cake? He was a ruthless war monger.
Might as well get Mengele.

JERRY: That was our babka. We had that babka!

ELAINE: What's this one?

CLERK: That, Cinnamon Babka.

ELAINE: (gasp)

JERRY: Another babka?

CLERK: There's chocolate and there's cinnamon.

JERRY: Well-well we got to get the cinnamon.

ELAINE: No, but they got the chocolate. We'll be going in with lesser
babka.

JERRY: I beg your pardon? Cinnamon takes a back seat to no babka. People
love cinnamon. It should be on tables in restaurants along with salt and
pepper. Anytime anyone says, "Oh This is so good. What's in it?" The
answer invariably comes back, Cinnamon. Cinnamon. Again and again.
Lesser babka - I think not.

CLERK: 49?

ELAINE: I'll have a cinnamon babka.

JERRY: … and a black and white cookie, for me. Peace!

(Jerry puts up the 2 finger peace sign and smiles)

[Cinnamon Girl]

Right here, baby!