Sweetly Improving Sugars? Reviewing Cinnamon's Effects on Blood Glucose.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to summarize existing evidence on cinnamon's effects on blood glucose in diabetes, evaluating both safety and efficacy.
Results Summary
The study found conflicting evidence on cinnamon's impact on glucose parameters, with modest effects observed in some cases. The safety profile was highly favorable, with few adverse events reported.
Population
Adults with diabetes (specific characteristics not detailed).
Effective Dosage
Not specified.
Duration
Not specified.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
cinnamon | increase | glucose handling in diabetes | patients with diabetes | - | has been explored for its ability to improve | #1 |
cinnamon | increase | blood glucose levels | patients with diabetes | - | used by patients with diabetes to help normalize | #2 |
cinnamon | increase | insulin sensitivity | - | - | could improve diabetes, including increasing | #3 |
cinnamon | decrease | inflammation | - | - | reducing | #4 |
cinnamon | increase | glucose uptake | - | - | enhancing | #5 |
cinnamon | neutral | gastric emptying | - | - | effects on | #6 |
cinnamon | decrease | glucose absorption | - | - | blocking | #7 |
cinnamon | no change | glucose parameters | - | - | conflicting evidence on whether cinnamon produces any significant effect on | #8 |
cinnamon | increase | glucose handling | adults | - | may have modest effects on improving | #9 |
cinnamon | decrease | adverse events | active treatment groups across all studies | very few | safety profile also has been demonstrated to be extremely favorable, with very few | #10 |
Cinnamon is a spice that has been used in various cultures for centuries for its potential health benefits. While there are health claims for a variety of health conditions, it has continuously been explored for its ability to improve glucose handling in diabetes. Cinnamon is a very popular supplement used by patients with diabetes to help normalize blood glucose levels. A systematic review of the literature was conducted to assess the available evidence evaluating effects on diabetes and glucose handling with the use of various species of cinnamon. The intention was to summarize the existing evidence for cinnamon's effects on blood glucose, both for safety and efficacy, to help guide providers and consumers alike. Reviewing the available literature for the different types of cinnamon and their effects on the diabetes disease process, there are multiple proposed mechanisms for how cinnamon could improve diabetes, including increasing insulin sensitivity by multiple receptor signaling pathways, reducing inflammation, enhancing glucose uptake by effects on glucose transporter proteins, and effects on gastric emptying, and blocking glucose absorption. There appears to be conflicting evidence on whether cinnamon produces any significant effect on glucose parameters, and the extent of these effects. There are several variables that could explain these conflicting data, such as patient sample size, doses and formulations of cinnamon used, baseline patient characteristics, and study duration. A more in-depth evaluation and rating of the available evidence could help clarify this, but data suggest that in some circumstances, cinnamon may have modest effects on improving glucose handling in adults. The safety profile also has been demonstrated to be extremely favorable, with very few adverse events reported in the active treatment groups across all studies. Based upon these data, clinicians should consider cinnamon to be a potential adjunctive therapy to traditional diabetes treatments, and should be open to discussing this with patients expressing interest in the supplement.