Cinnamon treatment for Diabetes?

Patients often ask whether cinnamon is helpful for diabetes.

It doesn’t seem to help in type 1 diabetes…but it may improve insulin sensitivity and lower glucose in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Studies are conflicting. But overall, they suggest that using cinnamon supplements for up to 4 months may modestly lower fasting blood glucose in type 2 diabetes…by up to about 1.4 mmol/L.

Emphasize lifestyle changes, metformin, and other diabetes meds.

But if patients wish to try cinnamon, point them to cassia cinnamon…sometimes called Chinese cinnamon, Cinnamomum aromaticum, or Cinnamomum cassia. This is the type shown to decrease glucose in humans.

Point out that the typical cinnamon spice sold in grocery stores may contain varieties that haven’t been shown to be beneficial for diabetes.

Explain that most studies used 1 to 3 g/day of cassia cinnamon caps.

Recommend stopping cinnamon if it doesn’t help after 3 to 4 months.

Explain cinnamon is usually well tolerated. Be aware, cassia cinnamon contains coumarin, which is linked to liver toxicity at high doses…but this isn’t usually a concern with typical cinnamon doses.