Summary:
Type II diabetes is a modern-day plague. Many of us are fatter than we should be, and prone to diseases like diabetes. There are natural remedies we can take to regulate blood sugar, and cinnamon is one that shows loads of promise.

Details or Sample:
Cinnamon and Type II Diabetes

By Alison Braidwood

Type II diabetes is a modern epidemic. As a population, we’re dismally inactive, and eat far too much junk food. As a consequence, many of us are getting fatter by the minute and are falling victim to diseases of obesity like Type II (non-insulin dependent) diabetes. Once you’re diagnosed with diabetes, the doctor-recommended course of action is often to lose the excess weight, eat a healthy balanced diet, and control blood sugar naturally, thus hopefully avoiding the need to take prescription drugs to control the disease. And now scientists have added another weapon to the arsenal we can use to combat Type II diabetes: cinnamon.

Researchers have discovered that regular cinnamon (cinnamomum cassia, the spice most of us have in our cupboards), has beneficial effects on blood glucose and cholesterol levels. This means that consuming cinnamon regularly may help diabetes sufferers to lower their excess blood sugar.

Taking as little as 1 gram (a teaspoon) of cinnamon each day can help to reduce elevated blood sugar in Type II diabetics. Cinnamon can be consumed in a variety of ways; as a tea, added to coffee, milkshakes, smoothies, and as a spice in food (it’s particularly good with oatmeal). You can also take cinnamon in a capsule, like a vitamin. But why bother with that when it’s so delicious added to real food?

Scientists believe that cinnamon works by allowing the fat cells in diabetics to respond to insulin again (the hormone that regulates blood sugar levels). It’s insulin blindness that leads to excess glucose in the blood, and by allowing cells to “see” insulin again, the blood can be cleansed of excess sugar.

The magic ingredient in cinnamon is a polyphenol, (the anti-oxidant anthocyanin) that may work by reducing inflammation, thus reducing oxidative stress in cells, and allowing them to work properly. Scientists are still working to unravel the mysterious ways of anti-oxidants; suffice to say, we know they’re very good for us.

Magnesium may also add to cinnamon’s anti-diabetes properties. An inability to absorb magnesium is believed to play a role in Type I diabetes (the more serious form of the disease). Cinnamon is rich in magnesium, so the mineral, along with the anthocyanin compound, may also play a role in cinnamon’s health benefits.

As an added bonus, taking cinnamon regularly (every day) has been shown to lower triglyceride levels and LDL “bad” cholesterol.

Type II diabetes can often be controlled with diet. Adding cinnamon to that healthy diet makes a lot of sense. Anything that controls blood sugar lessens the likelihood of a need for diabetes medication. Cinnamon is also inexpensive, especially when you consider the alternative. Which would you rather do, take a teaspoon of tasty cinnamon once a day, or fork out loads of money for diabetes drugs?

It’s important to note that if you do suffer from Type II diabetes, you should consult your doctor before starting a cinnamon regime, especially if you’re taking diabetes medication.

Cinnamon comes from the dried inner bark of a tropical evergreen tree, commonly found in India and Sri Lanka. Popular as a spice and trade commodity for centuries, it’s enjoying a renaissance as a natural remedy. Many nutritionists now recommend that we all add a teaspoon of cinnamon to our daily diet. By adding a dash of cinnamon to our coffee, oatmeal or smoothies, we’ll be helping ourselves in the fight against Type II diabetes, and adding a bit of spice to our lives.

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Written by: Alison Braidwood
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