1. Cinnamon may help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes
In individuals who have diabetes, insufficient insulin is produced by the pancreas or cells don’t respond to insulin as they should, which leads to high blood sugar levels. Cinnamon potentiates insulin action by increasing the amount of 3 vitally important proteins involved in the insulin signaling, inflammatory response, and glucose transport of the body.
Research has found that individuals taking a supplement containing the equivalent of a quarter to half a teaspoon of cinnamon twice daily reduced risk factors for diabetes, which included glucose, triglycerides, and cholesterol, by 10 to 30%.
Results of one study have found that a daily cinnamon intake of 1, 3, or 6 grams can reduce serum glucose, LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglyceride in individuals with type 2 diabetes.1✅ JOURNAL REFERENCE
PMID: 14633804 These results indicate that individuals with type 2 diabetes who include cinnamon in their diet can reduce risk factors linked to diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Individuals taking the smallest dose of 1 gram experienced the same benefit as individuals taking the 6 gram dose, so there it’s probably not necessary to consume more than 1 gram a day.
Ceylon and Cassia are the 2 most commonly used types of cinnamon. Although Ceylon cinnamon does contain more antioxidants, both types of cinnamon will be effective for lowering blood sugar, and the majority of studies have made use of Cassia cinnamon.
Cassia cinnamon does however contain a higher amount of coumarin, a potentially harmful substance that could be toxic to the liver. Ceylon cinnamon does however contain a significantly lower amount of coumarin, which makes it a much safer option than Cassia cinnamon, albeit more expensive.
The tolerable daily intake for coumarin has been determined by the European Food Safety Authority to be 0.1 mg/kg of body weight.
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