The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[24KaratGold]

I've been reading reports tonight that cinnamon in small amounts (a teaspoon or less a day) has in preliminary studies been shown to lower cholesterol and decrease insulin resistance, leading to better triglyceride numbers, etc. I'd post some of the links, but for Mr. Snippy, so suggest that if you are interested you try googling with the words cinnamon, insulin, lower, and cholesterol. You'll find quite a bit.

I love cinnamon, and use it, if not daily, several times a week, so I'm very happy to read this research!

[LilMsTexas]

me too.........I use it every day in my oatmeal and when I have the hot cocoa I use it then too. I LOVE cinnamon!!

[LuzInIt]

Hey Girls - ditto from another cinnamon lover. I've read the same research and really dump it on my oatmeal. I can't say I see a lowering of numbers since so much else is going on in my changing body. But wanted you guys to know (if you don't already), Walmart sells a good size container for $.50. I'd been buying the same size at the grocery store for like $2.50. I couldn't believe the price when I found it at Walmart (stumbled on it looking for Davinci Syrups), but after checking that it was correct, bought 10 shakers full!

[Seaside]

I'm an ethnobotanist, so this posting made me prick up my ears. Claims for plant-based medicines can be dicey sometimes, particularly with commercial spices which can be derived from a number of often-unrelated species. This, in turn, has an impact on the chemistry and pharmacological activity of such preparations, which can vary widely and sometimes can even be dangerous.

As far as cinnamon goes, commercial cinnamon ranges from the high-grade, expensive cinnamon derived from Cinnamomum zeylanicum to the lower-quality, cheaper Chinese cassia, derived from Cinnamomum aromaticum. We're in luck here, because the cinnamon that appears to have been tested clinically is the less expensive Chinese cassia. Nevertheless, when it comes to spices, you get what you pay for and the cheaper cinnamon is often adulterated with fillers like walnut hulls, etc. This may account for why some people report an insulin-lowering effect and others do not -- the quality of the cinnamon varies.

More is not better here, either. Above 1/2 tsp a day, some sensitive individuals have reported side effects, most often caused by irritation of the mouth and stomach. (Check with the HerbalGram website for good info you can trust; other sites can be sponsored by manufacturers).

Finally (if you haven't gone to sleep and are still reading my pedantic post), similar insulin-lowering benefits have also been found from the aromatic culinary herbs and spices bay leaves, cloves and turmeric (often found in curries). OK! Lecture is over. There'll be a quiz Friday.

[LilMsTexas]

Thanks Seaside.......truly.......I adore educated people I would be very interested to know what everyone "does". I know we have several attorneys and nurses on here. We have a sensational group of people, both men and women. We're all fortunate to gain wisdom from whomever can share it. Thank you for taking the time to educate on this subject

have a great day,
Christi

[24KaratGold]

More of the research I'm finding on cinnamon. Again, Mr. Snippy won't let me post links, but here's what one site has reported on the current state of the research:

Blood Sugar Control

Cinnamon may significantly help people with non-insulin dependent (Type 2) diabetes improve their ability to respond to insulin, thus normalizing their blood sugar levels. Both test tube and animal studies have shown that compounds in cinnamon not only stimulate insulin receptors, but also inhibit an enzyme that inactivates them, thus significantly increasing cells’ ability to use glucose. Studies to confirm cinnamon’s beneficial actions in humans are currently underway with the most recent report coming from researchers from the US Agricultural Research Service, who have shown that less than half a teaspoon per day of cinnamon reduces blood sugar levels in persons with NIDDM. Their study included 60 Pakistani volunteers with NIDDM who were not taking insulin. Subjects were divided into six groups. For 40 days, groups 1, 2 and 3 were given 1, 3, or 6 grams per day of cinnamon while groups 4, 5 and 6 received placebo capsules. Even the lowest amount of cinnamon, 1 gram per day (approximately ¼ to ½ teaspoon), produced an approximately 20% drop in blood sugar; cholesterol and triglycerides were lowered as well. When daily cinnamon was stopped, blood sugar levels began to increase. (December 30, 2003)

Test tube, animal and human studies have all recently investigated cinnamon’s ability to improve insulin activity, and thus our cells’ ability to absorb and use glucose from the blood.

On going in vitro or test tube research conducted by Richard Anderson and his colleagues at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center is providing new understanding of the mechanisms through which cinnamon enhances insulin activity. In their latest paper, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Anderson et al. characterize the insulin-enhancing complexes in cinnamon—a collection of catechin/epicatechin oligomers that increase the body’s insulin-dependent ability to use glucose roughly 20-fold.. Some scientists had been concerned about potentially toxic effects of regularly consuming cinnamon. This new research shows that the potentially toxic compounds in cinnamon bark are found primarily in the lipid (fat) soluble fractions and are present only at very low levels in water soluble cinnamon extracts, which are the ones with the insulin-enhancing compounds.

A recent animal study demonstrating cinnamon’s beneficial effects on insulin activity appeared in the December 2003 issue of Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice. In this study, when rats were given a daily dose of cinnamon (300 mg per kilogram of body weight) for a 3 week period, their skeletal muscle was able to absorb 17% more blood sugar per minute compared to that of control rats, which had not received cinnamon, an increase researchers attributed to cinnamon’s enhancement of the muscle cells’ insulin-signaling pathway. In humans with type 2 diabetes, consuming as little as 1 gram of cinnamon per day was found to reduce blood sugar, triglycerides, LDL (bad) cholesterol, and total cholesterol, in a study published in the December 2003 issue of Diabetes Care. [emphasis added] The placebo-controlled study evaluated 60 people with type 2 diabetes (30 men and 30 women ranging in age from 44 to 58 years) who were divided into 6 groups. Groups 1, 2, and 3 were given 1, 3, or 6 grams of cinnamon daily, while groups 4, 5, and 6 received 1, 3 or 6 grams of placebo. After 40 days, all three levels of cinnamon reduced blood sugar levels by 18-29%, triglycerides 23-30%, LDL cholesterol 7-27%, and total cholesterol 12-26%, while no significant changes were seen in those groups receiving placebo. The researchers’ conclusion: including cinnamon in the diet of people with type 2 diabetes will reduce risk factors associated with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.(January 28, 2004)


The latest research on cinnamon shows that by enhancing insulin signaling, cinnamon can prevent insulin resistance even in animals fed a high-fructose diet! A study published in the February 2004 issue of Hormone Metabolism Research showed that when rats fed a high-fructose diet were also given cinnamon extract, their ability to respond to and utilize glucose (blood sugar) was improved so much that it was the same as that of rats on a normal (control) diet. Cinnamon is so powerful an antioxidant that, when compared to six other antioxidant spices (anise, ginger, licorice, mint, nutmeg and vanilla) and the chemical food preservatives (BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole), BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene), and propyl gallate), cinnamon prevented oxidation more effectively than all the other spices (except mint) and the chemical antioxidants. (May 6, 2004)

I'm not diabetic, thank god, but I'm very interested in the overall apparent health benefits of cinnamon, which is a spice I love and use daily anyway. Fascinating stuff.

[Seaside]

By golly, 24Karat, that article makes me want to go out and have some cinnamon right away! I don't have diabetes, either (thank goodness), but so many people in the US have insulin resistance (Syndrome X). I'm not an expert on it but I don't want to develop diabetes, and if losing weight and cinnamon improve my chances, then I am all for it. Hmm...maybe a spoonfull of cinnamon in my chai syrup/vaniller shake or some sprinkled atop the capuccino would be good. Thanks!

[24KaratGold]

I hear ya, Seaside! The only caution I'd put on that is that I'm reading that "more is NOT better." Apparently TOO much cinnamon (I'm talking a tablespoon or two a day or more) can actually cause a hypoglycemic incident -- LOW blood sugar.

Me, I always throw a half teaspoon or so in my oatmeal, and I usually have oatmeal twice a day, either as the cereal or as the cookies.

[want2Bthin]

I love cinnamon. I add to to my vanilla shakes. Makes them so yummy.

Angelia

[dlr2424]

Angelia............I found pumpkin pie spice and add that to my vanilla shake..... ......it is out of this world..... ....well at least for me it is.......
Donna....dlr2424

[want2Bthin]

Donna-

I went to Kroger this morning & bought some Pumpkin Pie spice. I just finished a vanilla shake with it in it.

YUMMY!!!!! Thank you for a great idea! It was the best shake I have had so far!

Angelia

[dlr2424]

Angelia......so glad your taste buds were pleased..................
Donna....dlr2424.............

[Mommy2girls]

24K I have also heard what you heard about cinammon being good for you. I use it in my oatmeal as well (also not diabetic) but I also dash a bit into my ground coffee before brewing. I love the flavor and aroma that it gives my house. I don't know if that is the same as consuming it (probably not) but this spice tops my list as a favorite for sure.

Sheila