Natural Remedies for Diabetes with Cinnamon

What is Cinnamon?

  Cinnamon is powder, stick or bark which is derived from the Cinnamon family plant. There are many species that included in this group. There are few of kind of the Cinnamon species that are more often used by American people for cooking and baking. There are "Cassia Cinnamon" or "Chinese Cinnamon" (Cinnamomum aromaticum), the True Cinnamon "Ceylon Cinnamon" or "Srilanka Cinnamon" (Cinnamomum verum), "Indonesian Cinnamon" (Cinnamomum burmannii) and "Saigon Cinnamon" or "Vietnam Cinnamon" (Cinnamomum loureiroi).

    The Indonesian Cinnamon which is labeled only as "Cinnamon" and Cassia Cinnamon are Cinnamon which commonly sold in United States. Ceylon Cinnamon still generally unknown but often used in Mexico, Europe and Oceania. Cassia Cinnamon is frequently labeled as Chinese Cinnamon in some cases to distinguish it from the Ceylon Cinnamon which is the more expensive. Ceylon Cinnamon  has more delicate taste and flavor than the Cassia Cinnamon.

Health Properties of Cinnamon

    Part used of Cinnamon are bark and sticks. The bark of Cinnamon contains essential oils (4%) with main component of cinnamaldehyde (60-80%) and others component as: cinnamyl acetate, eugenol, b-caryophyllene, linaool, cineol, coumarin, procyanidin, polysaccharide musilage, cinnamic acid and phenolic acid.
    Lethal Doses of cinnamon oil are 4.16 g/kg of body weight and 3,4 ml/kg of body weight. Subchronic toxicity studies in rats explain that addition of cinnamon oil on the feed with concentration 1% does not cause liver enlargement.
    Cinnamon extract can decrease glucose level on glucose tolerance test (hypoglycemia affect) besides it, the essential oil also has carminative and antispasmodic affect.
   

Cinnamon and Diabetes

    Richard Anderson, the chemist has done a study led by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) says that Cinnamon's water soluble extract has benefit to help reduce risk factors associated with heart disease and diabetes because it contains antioxidative compounds.

    The study show that extract of Cinnamon may boost insulin sensitifity of the fat cells which is important to control blood sugar level. The research explain that giving of Cinnamon can increase glucose metabolism and has made the fat cells more responsive to insulin.

    Insulin is the hormone which was produced by pancreas that regulates carbohidrats and fats metabolism in the body. Insulin controls the blood sugar level by regulate the use of sugar (glucose) in the blood to store it as glycogen inside the tissues and otherwise if the blood sugar level down below a certain level, it begins to breaks down the glycogen stored in the liver and muscles into glucose. It can be utilized as source of energy. If this insulin's control is fail, it is also known as insulin resistance, which will lead type 2 diabetes disease.

    The result of research which also been done with sufferers of type 2 diabetes has shown that Cinnamon is cholesterol lowering herbs. It can reduce blood sugar, triglycerides, LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol of them if they take one, three or six grams of Cinnamon each day.

    Another study which done by Richard Anderson concluded that Cinnamon extract have effect in reducing fasting blood sugar level in people who suffer diabetes. The action which reduces fasting blood sugar level can control diabetes.

Several studies have shown that Cinnamon may improve blood sugar control and insulin sensitivity by consume 1/2 of teaspoon of Cinnamon per day. If insulin resistance can be resolved, it can help in decreasing the risk for diabetes and heart disease.