The Benefits of Cinnamon for Diabetes
Are you a big fan of cinnamon? Well, if you are a type 2 diabetic, there has been studies that show that cinnamon can lower blood sugar and that is great news!
Diabetes is a syndrome that affects millions of people. It’s when the body either produces high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia), your body doesn’t produce enough insulin (type 1 diabetes) or your body doesn’t respond to insulin (type 2 and gestational diabetes) which can lead to hyperglycemia.
A major sign for diabetics is the fact that they visit the bathroom often. The body feels the urge to urinate when there is too much glucose in the blood. Insulin which converts blood sugar to energy may be ineffective and your kidneys are unable to filter the glucose back into your blood. So, your body reacts by exerting any extra water in the blood to dilute glucose.
What cinnamon will do, is try to reduce the amount of glucose in the blood which will prevent the expenditure of glucose through urination. Typically, too much loss of blood sugar could lead to insulin shock and major problems for diabetics.
But let’s take a look at the benefits of cinnamon and why its known to help diabetics.
What is Cinnamon and How Does it Work?
Cinnamon (also known as cinnamomum verum) comes from a small evergreen tree and is native in South Asia. And many people around the world use it as a spice to flavor desserts, cereals, fruit and other forms of cuisine.
But some cultures believe in its medicinal uses to help cure colds, diarrhea and digestive problems due to its antioxidative and antimicrobrial properties.
But most recently cinnamon has been studied for its pharmacological effects in the treatment of type 2 diabetes and those who are resistant to insulin. There are many various versions of cinnamon in the market but the one that you want to search for, especially at health food stores are the ones that are Cinnamomun cassia. This is the cinnamon that was used in studies for type 2 diabetics not for those who are type 1 diabetics.
How the cinnamon works is that cinnamon helps manage glucose in the blood (as keeping your blood sugar levels even is important) and also for those that are trying to be healthy, by managing LDL lipoprotein and cholesterol.
How Much Cinnamon Should I Use?
According to studies, only 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon used 2-3 times a day is needed. You can sprinkle it on your tea and foods that you eat such as fruit, whole wheat bread and cereal. Pretty much any food that you included in your diabetic diet plan. Many of the people who were studied found cinnamon help manage their blood sugar levels by lowering it within 40 days of taking cinnamon.
Of course, before you incorporate cinnamon into your daily routine, it is advised to let your physician know, so your blood sugar levels can be monitored and that medication that you may be taking can be modified if necessary.
With so many type 2 diabetics who have tried cinnamon and incorporated it to their diabetic diet plan, a lot of them have seen the positive effects of cinnamon. So, perhaps adding cinnamon to your daily routine is not a bad idea. Especially since its inexpensive, you can buy it at your local grocery or health store and it’s another spice that can enhance the food that you eat. Give it a try!
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