Q. I am a nurse, and one of my patients has a success story that may interest you. His presurgical tests showed an HbA1c above 8, indicating that his blood sugar had been above normal for months. He decided to start taking a cinnamon supplement.
When I saw him two months later, his HbA1c was 6.0. Wow! He’s also been taking a teaspoon of yellow mustard, which contains vinegar and turmeric, after every meal. It muddies the research, but it has been good for him.
A. Thanks so much for sharing this story. HbA1c is a blood test that reveals long-term blood sugar control. Keeping the level below 7 is considered desirable.
Not everyone benefits from cinnamon, but we have heard from readers that a supplement can be helpful. There is even some research to support this approach (Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology, May, 2010). Both vinegar and turmeric can help reduce the rise in blood sugar after eating, so we’re not surprised that mustard might be beneficial too.
