Studies show that including cinnamon in your type 2 diabetes diet could significantly lower your blood sugar level, helping you to control your condition. In a world where this disease is an ever increasing problem, many people are seeking natural remedies to help them control their type 2 diabetes. Diet changes and supplements play a major role in this process.

• Cinnamon Reduces Blood Sugar in a Number of Ways

Cinnamon reduces blood sugar in three ways. Firstly it stimulates insulin production, secondly it increases the effectiveness of insulin receptors, and finally, as recent studies show, it slows the emptying of the stomach after eating. When the stomach empties quickly after a meal, this causes a rapid rise in blood sugar level, so slowing this process can help type 2 diabetics to control their condition.

• Should Cinnamon Buns Feature In My Type 2 Diabetes Diet?

The effects of cinnamon on blood sugar were discovered by accident at the Maryland Human Nutrition Research Centre of the US Department of Agriculture. When routine tests into the effects of certain foods came up with the surprising result that apple pie lowered blood sugar, some further investigation was needed. They quickly discovered that cinnamon was the active ingredient which caused the decrease in blood sugar level.

This does not mean that cinnamon buns, cakes and apple pie should become a regular part of type 2 diabetes diets. The amount of sugar and fat found in these delicacies will outweigh the positive effects of the cinnamon. Instead include cinnamon in your diabetes diets by adding it to the healthy foods you eat.

Cinnamon can easily be added to wholemeal toast, low fat bagels and cereals. Some people even find soaking a cinnamon stick in their tea can have an impact on their blood sugar.

• Studies Show a 20% Decrease in Blood Sugar Levels

The original studies into the impact of including cinnamon in diabetes diets took place in Pakistan. Two groups of type 2 diabetics were monitored, with one group taking 6g capsules of cinnamon after eating, and the other group taking a placebo. The group taking cinnamon experienced a 20% reduction in blood sugar level compared with the control group. Their blood sugar levels began to creep up again as soon as the study was over and they stopped taking the cinnamon.

More recent research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, compares two groups of healthy volunteers. Both groups ate 300g of rice pudding a day, but one group added 6g of cinnamon to theirs. Their blood sugars were measured two hours after eating, and the rate at which their stomachs emptied was measured using ultrasonography.

The group that ate plain rice pudding had significantly higher blood sugar than the group that ate cinnamon, and their stomachs emptied much quicker which contributed to the high blood sugar levels. The group that ate cinnamon experienced significantly slower stomach emptying as well as lower blood sugar.

• Limits to the Effectiveness of Cinnamon

For cinnamon to be really effective as part of a type 2 diabetes diet, you need to eat large quantities which may have an impact on your liver over time. It is not recommended for pregnant women and should not be used to treat gestational diabetes. Because cinnamon works to increase the effectiveness of insulin, it cannot be used to treat type 1 diabetes, where no insulin is produced in the first place.

Cinnamon can be an effective addition to type 2 diabetes diets, and when used long term it can help to control blood sugar levels. It can also be used to lower cholesterol, to treat nausea and vomiting, and to prevent colds and gastrointestinal spasms. Although it is effective at lowering blood sugar, it should not replace a healthy and varied diet, regular exercise, and professional medical advice.