Cinnamon Lowers Blood Sugar in Diabetic Animals

Cinnamon lowers blood sugar and raises levels of HDL, the “good” cholesterol, in type 2 diabetic rats, a new study has found.

Researchers administered cinnamon extract at different dosages (50, 100, 150 and 200 mg/kg) to the animals for 6 weeks. At the end of the study, blood glucose concentration was significantly decreased in a dose-dependent manner with the largest reduction in the 200 mg/kg group compared with the control. HDL-cholesterol levels were significantly higher and the concentration of triglycerides and total cholesterol were significantly lower after the 6-week study.

“These results suggest that cinnamon extract has a regulatory role in blood glucose level and lipids,” the study authors wrote, “and it may also exert a blood glucose-suppressing effect by improving insulin sensitivity or slowing absorption of carbohydrates in the small intestine.”

Reference:
Kim SH, Hyun SH, Choung SY. Anti-diabetic effect of cinnamon extract on blood glucose in db/db mice. J Ethnopharmacol. 2006 Mar 8;104(1-2):119-23. Epub 2005 Oct 5.