The Annals of Family Medicine published the results of an attention-grabbing study on type 2 diabetes. The study was conducted by representatives of California’s Western University of Health Sciences. What the California researchers’ work revealed may startle you.
The study involved 543 individuals with a pre-existing type 2 diabetes diagnosis and the results of less than a dozen randomized control trials (RCTs). The California researchers’ goal in gathering the previously mentioned data was to determine whether not the consumption of cinnamon would have a noticeable impact on the test subjects’ lipid and glycemia levels.
Based on the results of their work, the spice is capable of altering several aspects of a type 2 diabetic’s health. For example, it did lower cholesterol and fasting plasma glucose levels in some people. However, it did not seem to impact the type 2 diabetic test subject’s hemoglobin levels.
In addition to presenting their findings, the California based researchers urged type 2 diabetics not to undertake a change in diet based solely on their findings. That’s because in some instances there are negative side effects that may arise from the use of cinnamon. Among them are hepatotoxicity and mild to severe allergic reactions.
With that said, type 1 and type 2 diabetics wishing to supplement their diets with cinnamon should speak to their primary care physicians first. The primary care physicians, in turn, can help determine whether or not such a course of action would do more harm than good. If the primary care physician does approve the use of cinnamon supplements, he or she may also request that the person change his or her blood sugar testing schedule. As such, more diabetes testing supplies may be needed.