One Teaspoon of this Spice Can Help Your Diabetes

Introduction

In this article, I’m going to recommend that you take one teaspoon of this particular spice to help you immensely with diabetes. But, of course, by fixing diabetes, I mean how to fix the complications of diabetes.

The spice in question is CINNAMON!

We are going to see how cinnamon helps to fix the complications of diabetes.

The specific cinnamon here is Ceylon cinnamon. The active ingredient in this spice is cinnamaldehyde. A teaspoon of cinnamon daily can have promising benefits for your health. It is the oldest and most consumed spice in the world.

Cinnamaldehyde has potent anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, and anti-diabetic properties.

Photo by Agnieszka Kowalczyk on Unsplash

Health benefits of cinnamon

1. It is loaded with antioxidants

The free radicals in your body can put you at risk of oxidative damage (1).

Cinnamon contains many potent antioxidants, including polyphenols (2).

A particular study found that supplementing with cinnamon could significantly increase antioxidant levels in the blood while also reducing inflammatory markers levels, like C-reactive protein (3).

It is important to note that cinnamon has such powerful antioxidant effects that it can even be used as a natural food preservative (4).

2. Cinnamon has anti-inflammatory properties

Inflammation is significant. Without inflammation, your body would not be able to respond to infections or repair damage to the tissues.

But inflammation becomes problematic when it reaches the chronic stage and is directed against your body’s tissues (5).

This is where cinnamon becomes useful. Studies have shown that this spice and its antioxidants have potent anti-inflammatory properties (6, 7).

Photo by Angelo Pantazis on Unsplash

3. It is protective against heart disease

Cinnamon has been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease. Heart disease is the primary cause of death globally (8).

According to a 2022 review published in the journal Critical Reviews in Food Science & Nutrition, supplementing with ¾ of a teaspoon or 1.5 grams of cinnamon daily had the potential to reduce total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL (bad) cholesterol, and blood sugar in people with the metabolic condition (9).

In another study, researchers found that cinnamon could reduce total cholesterol and triglyceride levels, contributing to the onset of heart disease (10).

Cinnamon has also been shown to reduce blood pressure when consumed consistently for eight weeks (11, 12).

4. It may prevent fungal and bacterial infections

Cinnamaldehyde may be beneficial against different kinds of infection.

Test tube studies have shown that cinnamon oil is toxic to specific fungi that infect the respiratory tract (13).

Cinnamon may also inhibit the growth of some bacteria, including Salmonella and Listeria (14, 15).

It is also worth noting that the antimicrobial effects of cinnamon may help reduce bad breath and prevent tooth decay (16).

Photo by jesse orrico on Unsplash

5. Cinnamon may be protective against cancer

Cinnamon has been widely studied for its potential use in the treatment and prevention of cancer.

Overall, the evidence is limited to animal and test-tube studies, which suggest that cinnamon extracts may be protective against cancer (16, 17, 18).

Cinnamon reduces the growth of cancer cells and the formation of blood vessels in tumors. However, studies suggest that cinnamon is toxic to cancer cells, resulting in cell death.

An animal study found that cinnamaldehyde could block the expression of some proteins involved in cancer growth in mice with ovarian cancer (19).

Photo by Angiola Harry on Unsplash

Cinnamon and diabetes

1. Cinnamon can increase insulin sensitivity

Two things happen in diabetic patients. Either the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin, or the cells are insensitive to insulin, leading to high blood sugar levels.

Cinnamon may lower blood sugar levels by increasing glucose uptake by the cells (20). Cinnamon can also help lower blood sugar by increasing the sensitivity of the cells to insulin, thus making insulin more efficient at moving glucose into the cells.

2. Cinnamon lowers fasting blood sugar

Some controlled studies have demonstrated that cinnamon reduces fasting blood sugar.

A review of 543 type two diabetes patients found that taking cinnamon led to an average decrease of 24 mg/dL (1.33 mmol/L) (21).

Some studies have also reported significant decreases in hemoglobin A1c (21, 22, 23, 24).

3. Decreased risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

The two primary consequences of fatty liver are oxidative stress and resistance to insulin.

Insulin signals the production of more fat in the liver. As a result, the fat accumulates in the liver leading to extreme levels of oxidative stress and inflammation.

It is important to note that the potent antioxidant effect addresses the issue of oxidative stress imposed by insulin.

The anti-inflammatory property of cinnamon extracts helps to cure the inflammation of the liver due to excess intake of alcohol.

Cinnamon inhibits the expression of factor MyD88 — myeloid differentiation primary response gene, which causes cirrhosis and inflammation.

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

4. Cinnamon protects the kidneys

We’ve repeatedly mentioned that the antioxidants in cinnamon help reduce inflammation in the body. In addition to its anti-inflammatory effects, a 2015 review (25) published in the journal Nutrients points out that cinnamon has been used as a “health-promoting agent” for treating urinary tract infections.

5. Restores peripheral neuropathy

It is a fact that cinnamon helps lower blood sugar and fight diabetes. A systemic review of cinnamon showed that it reduces hemoglobin A1c levels and fasting blood glucose and increases circulating insulin levels.

Studies have also shown that it is protective against diabetic neuropathy (numbness and diabetic nerve pain). Research has also shown that eating cinnamon with a carb-loaded meal can prevent blood sugar spikes.

Other ways by which cinnamon spice can fix diabetes include:

· Decreased risk of cataracts

· Prevents endothelial dysfunction

· Decreases inflammation of the brain

· Decreased harmful lipid accumulation

There are numerous ways to consume your daily cinnamon! You can try adding it to your tea or coffee or taking a cinnamon supplement. You can also add it to different foods. Cinnamon is beneficial not only for diabetes but for insulin resistance as well.

So if you are insulin resistant, you can benefit from a daily dose of cinnamon.

Takeaway

Cinnamon is a delicious spice linked to many health benefits.

While eating small to moderate amounts is safe, overeating may cause side effects. This mainly applies to Cassia or “regular” cinnamon because it contains high amounts of coumarin, linked to conditions like liver damage and cancer.

On the other hand, Ceylon or “true” cinnamon only contains trace amounts of coumarin. As a result, it may lower blood sugar levels and has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antibacterial properties.

Disclaimer: Dr. Berner does not diagnose, treat, or prevent any medical diseases or conditions; instead, he analyzes and corrects the structure of his patients with Foundational Correction to improve their overall quality of life. He works with their physicians, who regulate their medications. This blog post is not designed to provide medical advice, professional diagnosis, opinion, treatment, or services to you or any other individual. The information provided in this post or through linkages to other sites is not a substitute for medical or professional care. You should not use the information in place of a visit, consultation, or the advice of your physician or another healthcare provider. Foundation Chiropractic and Dr. Brett Berner are not liable or responsible for any advice, the course of treatment, diagnosis, or any other information, services, or product you obtain through this article or others.