Cinnamon Has No Benefit for People With Diabetes

---

Effect of cinnamon on glucose control and lipid parameters, by W.L. Baker and colleagues. Diabetes Care 31: 41-43, 2007

What is the problem and what is known about it so far?

Heart disease is the main cause of death for people with diabetes. To prevent heart disease, people with diabetes need to closely watch their blood glucose levels and the amount of lipids (fats) in their blood.

Why did researchers do this particular study?

Several studies claim that cinnamon is a natural method to control glucose levels and fats in the blood. Other studies, however, show the opposite—that cinnamon does not change blood glucose or lipid levels.

Who was studied?

Adults with type 2 and teens with type 1 diabetes

How was the study done?

Researchers searched for all the studies of cinnamon in human subjects. Only five clinical studies for a total of 282 people with diabetes could be included. From these studies, the researchers used this larger pool of subjects to imitate a larger study.

What did the researchers find?

After examining the final fasting blood glucose, A1C levels, and lipid levels, researchers found that cinnamon had no real effect on people with diabetes. The type of diabetes, type 1 or type 2, did not matter.

What are the limitations of the study?

Only a few studies could fit the qualifications for the study. Researchers also did not know the exact process for testing the effect of cinnamon in each study. Both a larger number of studies and more details on the experiments could lead to clearer results. The study also did not include patients with pre-diabetes and those who have a high risk for diabetes.

What are the implications of the study?

Cinnamon cannot replace medication, a healthy diet, and exercise for people with diabetes who are trying to prevent serious heart problems. The different results of each study also show a “publication bias”--- the researchers might have been more interested in getting their articles printed than carefully checking their results.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Diabetes Myths

A1C Test

16 Myths of “Diabetic Diet”