A Study to Determine the Effects of Cinnamon on Blood Glucose and Lipid Levels in Person's with Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract

Diabetes is the most common metabolic disease worldwide; one in twenty Americans are affected. This chronic disease can lead to a host of complications including blindness, amputations, stroke, nerve damage, heart disease and kidney failure. Many of these complications can be avoided by maintaining normal blood glucose and lipid levels. Researchers have speculated that certain spices such as cinnamon may help to normalize. The objective of this double blind, placebo-controlled study was to determine whether cinnamon improves blood glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels in persons with type-2 diabetes. The population included 40 men and women diagnosed with type-2 diabetes, who had a fasting blood glucose level between 126-300 mg/dl, or a glycosylated hemoblogbin (HgbAlc) level greater than 7% despite metformin treatment for glucose control. The subjects were randomly assigned to a treatment or control group. The treatment group received lgm of the water-soluble extract of cinnamon in capsule form daily. Their fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and postprandial glucose levels were measured on days 0, 20, 40, & 60 of the study. Expected outcomes included normalization of all measured blood levels, except HDL cholesterol levels, for which no significant changes were expected. After 40 days of supplementation, fasting glucose levels were similarly decreased in both groups, an 8% decrease was found in the treatment group and a 5% decrease in the control group. Postprandial glucose levels decreased by 3% in both the treatment and control groups. Total cholesterol levels decreased by 4% in the treatment group and by 3% in the control group. LDL cholesterol levels decreased by 12% in the treatment group and by 15% in the control group. Triglyceride levels decreased by 18% in the treatment group and increased by 7% in the control group. HDL cholesterol levels did not change over time in the treatment nor in the control group. No significant differences were found between treatment and control in any of the end points of this study.