What cinnamon is best for type 2 diabetes?

Most people think of cinnamon as a flavoring for desserts or as a warm, robust scent for candles and potpourri. But this spice may do more than make your house smell good. Cinnamon has been shown to help lower blood glucose levels in people with Type 2 diabetes. read more

Lu et al, 2012: This was a Chinese study of 66 subjects with Type 2 diabetes who were given a placebo (inactive treatment), or 120 milligrams or 360 milligrams of cinnamon extract, along with a sulfonylurea (oral diabetes medicine), for 3 months. read more

The first studies were done with the bitter, black cinnamon that is used in curry powder, and the volunteers for the clinical trial were type 2 diabetics of South Asian ancestry who weren’t on any other medications. One of the peculiarities of type 2 diabetes in some people is that they are thin except for their bellies. read more

Research findings have been mixed, and the American Diabetes Association dismisses cinnamon’s use in diabetes treatment. Several small studies have linked cinnamon to better blood sugar levels. Some of this work shows it may curb blood sugar by lowering insulin resistance. read more