Controlling blood sugar is one of the pillars to good health. But people with type 2 diabetes often have trouble getting their hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c or A1c) into the desirable range. A1C is a rough average of blood glucose control over three months. Most health professionals encourage their patients with diabetes to exercise and lose weight, but those lifestyle changes are hard. That’s why medications are thought to be the most reliable treatments for type 2 diabetes. But many people prefer a more natural approach. Can daily cinnamon help control blood sugar? This reader says yes.
Can People Lower HbA1c with Cinnamon and a Low-Carb Diet?
Q. I have been using daily cinnamon (Saigon cinnamon) for about two months as a supplement to my diet and medication for diabetes. I put it in coffee, cereal or oatmeal (at least one of these each morning). I have found that a sprinkle of cinnamon daily keeps my blood sugar from spiking.
I still must maintain a low-carb diet without sugar, but my glucose remains fairly constant (between 70 and 140). Without cinnamon it would spike sometimes as high as 230 for no apparent reason. My HbA1c has also dropped to 6.1 from the low 8s during this time.
A. Normal fasting glucose levels are about 100 and endocrinologists like to see HbA1c under 7 in patients with diabetes. Your results with a low-carb diet and cinnamon suggest that your type 2 diabetes is under much better control than before.
What is Saigon Cinnamon?
Saigon cinnamon is a form of cassia cinnamon, which has been shown to lower blood sugar more than diet alone (Nutrition and Metabolic Insights, Dec. 13, 2012). A comprehensive review in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (Nov. 2016) asked the question: “Do Cinnamon Supplements Have a Role in Glycemic Control in Type 2 Diabetes?”
The authors reported:
“All 11 of the studies reported some reductions in FPG [fasting plasma glucose] during the cinnamon intervention, and of the studies measuring HbA1c very modest decreases were also apparent with cinnamon, while changes in the placebo groups were minimal.”
The authors note that some of the studies found a significant decrease in HbA1c values with daily cinnamon intake. They were not overly impressed with the quality of the studies, though. They also caution that high daily cinnamon doses have not been tested adequately for safety. Because cassia cinnamon contains coumarin, it can pose harm as well as benefits. Liver damage is something we worry about. It makes sense to use it carefully and not overdose.
Cinnamon supplements that are water extracted are unlikely to have much, if any coumarin. As a result, they may be safer than daily cinnamon from the spice rack.
More Research:
Another systematic review (Annals of Family Medicine, Sept-Oct, 2013) of daily cinnamon use concluded that the spice
“is associated with a statistically significant decrease in levels of fasting plasma glucose, total cholesterol, LDL-C, and triglyceride levels, and an increase in HDL-C levels…”
They did not find a significant effect on HbA1c levels, however.
Different Kinds of Cinnamon:
There is tremendous confusion about the “right” form of cinnamon to use. Supermarket cinnamon is mostly cassia cinnamon. You can learn more at this link:
Is Ceylon Cinnamon Better than Cassia Cinnamon?
Reports from Readers About Daily Cinnamon:
J.B. had good results with a combination of cinnamons:
“For several years, I have been a diabetic, controlled on diet & exercise. I also drink 2 tablespoons of vinegar in an 8 oz glass of water at lunch and at dinner. I put 1/4 tsp. of cinnamon in my dry coffee grounds before perking the coffee and take a cinnamon capsule twice a day.
“My A1C has never been up to 7 and in fact was 6.4 last time it was checked. I got used to drinking the vinegar by putting it in low sodium V-8 juice. Now it does not bother me to drink it in water.”
Verna has a variation on that theme:
“We use cinnamon with ground flax seed in our yogurt every morning and have had good results with our blood sugar and also our triglycerides.”
Cynthia in Neche, ND offers an interesting option:
“Several people have asked whether Saigon cinnamon is safer to use than the ordinary cassia-type cinnamon you find in the grocery store. Saigon cinnamon is closely related to cassia, and has comparable amounts of coumarin; hence, to eat a lot of it (a couple of teaspoons every day, maybe even less if your liver is sensitive) over a period of time will damage your liver.
“BUT–I want to point out that coumarin is NOT water soluble, so if you have cassia or Saigon cinnamon in chips or sticks, and steep them like a tea, you can drink the resulting brew quite freely, because there will be so little coumarin in the drink–it will be left in the sticks or chips. And the tea is DELISH, even all by itself. You will note that the original research on cinnamon (cassia) that found it effective in lowering blood sugar used a WATER EXTRACT (tea) of cinnamon. This avoided the dangers of ingesting too much coumarin.”
People’s Pharmacy Resources:
We discuss diabetes and diet, tell how to safely add cinnamon to morning coffee and describe supplements and many other non-drug approaches in our Guide to Managing Diabetes.
Our book, Spice Up Your Health: How Everyday Kitchen Herbs & Spices Can Lengthen & Strengthen Your Life, provides much greater insight into cinnamon. In addition, you will learn about the health benefits of basil, chamomile, coriander, cumin, fennel, ginger, oregano, rosemary, sage, turmeric and thyme. Here is a link with reviews from readers.
