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Lee Swanson Research Update
Cinnamon's Healthy Benefits Get Clinical Trial Boost
December 2010
A daily dose of two grams of cinnamon for 12 weeks may improve blood pressure measures and blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes, says new research from Imperial College, London.
According to findings of the randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial, the spice may be considered an interesting supplement to the conventional diabetes medications.
"The two-gram dose of cinnamon administered in our study was safe and well tolerated over the 12 weeks of treatment," wrote Dr. Rajadurai Akilen and his co-workers in Diabetic Medicine.
"The sustainability and durability of the effect of cinnamon has not been tested, nor has its long-term tolerability and safety, both of which will need to be determined. However, the short-term effects of the use of cinnamon for patients with type 2 diabetes look promising."
The study adds to a growing body of research reporting that active compounds in cinnamon may improve parameters associated with diabetes.
In the U.S., almost 24 million people live with diabetes, equal to eight percent of the population. The total costs are thought to be as much as $174 billion, with $116 billion being direct costs from medication, according to 2005-2007 American Diabetes Association figures.
Dr. Akilen and his co-workers recruited 58 people with type 2 diabetes and an average age of 55, and randomly assigned them to receive a daily supplement containing a two-gram dose of cinnamon or placebo for 12 weeks.
At the end of the study, the results indicated that the cinnamon supplement was associated with a mean decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure of 3.4 and 5.0 mmHg, respectively. No significant reductions were recorded in the placebo group.
In terms of blood sugar, the researchers noted a reduction in levels of glycated hemoglobin (used to measure blood sugar levels) over 12 weeks from 8.22 to 7.86% in the cinnamon group, compared with an increase in the placebo group from 8.55 to 8.68% over 12 weeks.
"This is the first clinical trial in the United Kingdom in a multiethnic population that has confirmed beneficial effects of two grams of cinnamon on [glycated hemoglobin] and blood pressure in type 2 diabetes patients," wrote the researchers.
Diabetic Medicine (10):1159-1167, 2010
