Diabetes and cholesterol
Biochemist Amy Stockert, who studies cinnamon at Raabe College of Pharmacy at Ohio Northern University co-authored a small study of 18 people with type 2 diabetes that showed the cassia species of cinnamon was more effective than diet alone in lowering blood glucose levels. In fact, her study found that it was comparable to oral diabetes medications.
Another study of 60 people with type 2 diabetes found that small doses of cinnamon reduced blood sugar levels and improved LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, triglycerides and total cholesterol.
Still, if you want to see whether cinnamon works for you, people with type 2 diabetes are advised to do a self-test.
Do some paired blood glucose testing. Use a half a teaspoon in the morning, on fruit or oatmeal or in coffee, and see what happens to your blood sugar levels before and after you eat. Check again two to three hours later and see if there's a difference.
Dementia, HIV, cancer and more
The antioxidant properties of cinnamon are also being studied for their impact on the formation of the plaques and tangles of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. Cinnamaldehyde, a compound responsible for the spice's sweet smell, and epicatechin, a powerful antioxidant that's also in blueberries, red wine and chocolate, seem to offer some protection against the oxidative stress that damages tau, a key player in the development of dementia.
Another study found a component of Ceylon cinnamon to have the same effect. However, research has occurred only in mice, rats and laboratory Petri dishes.
"It appears to work as an anti-inflammatory or antioxidant, protecting the body on a cellular level from bad things that happen," Wright said, "by getting rid of waste products and keeping the cells healthy."
Cinnamon and other traditional Indian medicinal plants are also being tested in the fight against HIV. One study found that green tea, elderberry and some extracts of cinnamon rich in flavonoids blocked the virus from entering and infecting certain cells.
The research on cinnamon doesn't stop there. Ceylon cinnamon has also been associated with cancer-fighting properties in rodents, anti-parasitic effects, improved diabetic neuropathy, lower blood pressure and wound healing, including liver damage. Studies have shown that solutions of cinnamon oil can kill a number of common bacteria, such as streptococcus and E. coli. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health is investigating cinnamon's impact on multiple sclerosis.
Using a computer model, biochemist Stockert found that cinnamon was as effective as resveratrol, an antioxidant in red wine known for anti-aging and disease-fighting properties, in activating SIRT-1 -- also known as the longevity gene because of its role in repairing DNA.
Read More about Ayurvedic properties and uses of cinnamon Here.
Biochemist Amy Stockert, who studies cinnamon at Raabe College of Pharmacy at Ohio Northern University co-authored a small study of 18 people with type 2 diabetes that showed the cassia species of cinnamon was more effective than diet alone in lowering blood glucose levels. In fact, her study found that it was comparable to oral diabetes medications.
Another study of 60 people with type 2 diabetes found that small doses of cinnamon reduced blood sugar levels and improved LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, triglycerides and total cholesterol.
Still, if you want to see whether cinnamon works for you, people with type 2 diabetes are advised to do a self-test.
Do some paired blood glucose testing. Use a half a teaspoon in the morning, on fruit or oatmeal or in coffee, and see what happens to your blood sugar levels before and after you eat. Check again two to three hours later and see if there's a difference.
Dementia, HIV, cancer and more
The antioxidant properties of cinnamon are also being studied for their impact on the formation of the plaques and tangles of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. Cinnamaldehyde, a compound responsible for the spice's sweet smell, and epicatechin, a powerful antioxidant that's also in blueberries, red wine and chocolate, seem to offer some protection against the oxidative stress that damages tau, a key player in the development of dementia.
Another study found a component of Ceylon cinnamon to have the same effect. However, research has occurred only in mice, rats and laboratory Petri dishes.
"It appears to work as an anti-inflammatory or antioxidant, protecting the body on a cellular level from bad things that happen," Wright said, "by getting rid of waste products and keeping the cells healthy."
Cinnamon and other traditional Indian medicinal plants are also being tested in the fight against HIV. One study found that green tea, elderberry and some extracts of cinnamon rich in flavonoids blocked the virus from entering and infecting certain cells.
The research on cinnamon doesn't stop there. Ceylon cinnamon has also been associated with cancer-fighting properties in rodents, anti-parasitic effects, improved diabetic neuropathy, lower blood pressure and wound healing, including liver damage. Studies have shown that solutions of cinnamon oil can kill a number of common bacteria, such as streptococcus and E. coli. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health is investigating cinnamon's impact on multiple sclerosis.
Using a computer model, biochemist Stockert found that cinnamon was as effective as resveratrol, an antioxidant in red wine known for anti-aging and disease-fighting properties, in activating SIRT-1 -- also known as the longevity gene because of its role in repairing DNA.
Read More about Ayurvedic properties and uses of cinnamon Here.
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