How Sweet It Is Cinnamon, Spices and Diabetes

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How Sweet It Is!Cinnamon, Spices and Diabetes

• Catherine M. Champagne, PhD, RD
• Pennington Biomedical Research Center

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Focus of presentation

• Cinnamon
• Health benefits of cinnamon
• Research
• A little is good, is more better?
• How to incorporate cinnamon in your diet
• Additional foods of interest (spices, herbs,
  other)
• Summary

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Cinnamon

• Native to Sri Lanka
• Dried inner bark of a variety of evergreen tree
• In ancient times, more precious than gold
• Stick or powdered

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Benefits of cinnamon

• Can decrease high fasting glucose by making body
  cells more sensitive to insulin
• As little at ¼ teaspoon can reduce blood sugar
  significantly
• Evidence that cinnamon slows digestion, which can
  affect the blood sugar rise after a meal
• May also reduce
• heart rate
• blood pressure
• body temperature

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• 1 tsp cinnamon 2.6 grams
• Study of subjects taking 2-6 grams per day
• Nearly all with diabetes showed substantial
  improvement
• Connection between cinnamon diabetes was there
  because when cinnamon stopped, blood sugar levels
  began rising
• So cinnamon can be regular part of lifestyle and
  with additional benefits
• Response to insulin more efficient
• Contains polyphenols, powerful antioxidants
• Anti-inflammatory and can help to prevent cancer

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How much is too much?

• May be dangerous if taken in large quantities
  over a long period of time
• Some cinnamon (Chinese or cassia cinnamon)
  contains a compound, coumarin. In excess, this
  can harm the liver of sensitive people. It also
  may interact with blood thinners such as Coumadin
  (warfarin) to increase the risk of bleeding.
• Two tablespoons of cinnamon daily is a very big
  dose. You should have your liver enzymes checked
  when you see your doctor. People who use cinnamon
  to help lower blood sugar take one-quarter to
  one-half of a teaspoon before meals.
• Cassia cinnamon is not labeled with the amount of
  coumarin it contains, making it hard to know what
  dose one is getting.
• Consuming ¼ - ½ teaspoons per day is not harmful

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Adding cinnamon to your diet

• Add a cinnamon stick to
• Tea
• Coffee
• Apple cider or juice
• Cocoa
• Sprinkle cinnamon on
• Oatmeal
• Yogurt
• Baked apples or applesauce
• Toast (cinnamon toast)
• Pudding

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More recipes and information on cinnamon research

• For additional recipes, make sure you get a
  handout with these.
• And for more information about cinnamon, visit
  the following website
• http//care.diabetesjournals.org/cgi/content/full/
  26/12/3215 information.

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Other spices and foods that have been studied for
diabetes

• Russian tarragon
• Ginseng
• Fenugreek seed
• Gymnema sylvestre
• Garlic
• Nopal or prickly pear cactus
• Ivy gourd
• Aloe vera

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Russian Tarragon(Artemisia dracunculus)

• Common medicinal and culinary herb.
• An extract, Tarralin, may work by blocking an
  enzyme which would improve insulin efficiency.
• Studies in mice have been promising.
• This is just beginning to be investigated in
  humans, so it cannot now be recommended.stay
  tuned!!!

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Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius or Panax ginseng)

• Used in traditional Chinese medicine for
  thousands of years.
• May have possible hypoglycemic effects
• Decreasing rate of carbohydrate absorption
• Increasing blood sugar transport and storage
• Increasing insulin secretion
• Clinical trials with American ginseng but short
  term and few subjects.

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Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius)

• Known side effects of large doses and long-term
  use
• Diarrhea
• Insomnia
• Nervousness
• Nausea and vomiting
• Until longer-term studies are conducted, cannot
  firmly recommend its use at this time.

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Fenugreek Seed(Trigonella foenum-graecum)

• Member of pea family.
• Traditionally used in India to treat diabetes
  insulin like effect.
• Widely cultivated in other parts of the world for
  treatment of diabetes.
• To date, trials with humans have been small and
  are inconclusive.
• Common problems
• diarrhea and gas
• may absorb oral medications
• blood thinning potential

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Gymnema Sylvestre

• Herb from tree native to Africa and India, long
  used to treat diabetes.
• May improve blood sugar uptake in tissues,
  increase insulin secretion and increase the
  number of cells in the pancreas that make
  insulin.
• Limited research on poorly controlled scientific
  studies make it hard to recommend this herb!!

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Garlic (Allium sativum)

• Used as a medicinal herb for centuries.
• Compounds in garlic (allicins) may increase
  secretion or slow degradation of insulin or
  improve glucose storage ability in the body.
• For diabetes, there are few studies and findings
  are conflicting.
• Safety not an issue, but jury is still out on the
  true benefits!!

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Bitter melon (Momordica charantia)aka vegetable
insulin

• Grows in tropical and subtropical climates (Asia,
  Africa, South America) widely used in folk
  medicine as a remedy for diabetes
• Clinical trials have shown a moderate blood
  sugar-lowering effect. Small studies, perhaps
  dubious value
• But hard to find and bitter! May have
  gastrointestinal discomfort.

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Nopal or Prickly Pear Cactus(Opuntia
streptacantha)

• Commonly used by people of Mexican descent for
  glucose control.
• Part of soups, salads, sandwiches and blended in
  drinks in traditional Mexican diet.
• High pectin may regulate blood glucose.
• May have potential, but longer-term clinical
  trials needed.
• Some mild gastrointestinal upset, but appears to
  be well tolerated.

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Ivy Gourd (Coccinia grandis)

• Used in India to treat diabetes, long history of
  use has low glycemic index.
• May mimic insulin and may suppress activity of
  enzymes in glucose production.
• While some studies have been promising, they are
  few.
• There is a need for more studies with more
  subjects before we can recommend supplementation.

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Aloe Vera

• Aloe juice widely used in India and on the
  Arabian peninsula to treat diabetes.
• Contains a fiber that may drive down blood sugar
  and make cells more sensitive to insulin.
• Do not take if you have any sort of intestinal
  condition (Crohns, ulcerative colitis, etc.).
• More information needed before recommendations
  can be made (i.e., clinical trials with
  scientific integrity).

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For more information.
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So what have we learned?

• Its all about science and finding the science to
  back up the claims.
• What does it take? Long term studies, lots of
  subjects, strictly controlled.
• Can we try any of these options presented? Sure,
  just make certain that the amounts consumed are
  not going to harm you in any way!!
• Any other ideas?
• Move to India, China, Africa, or somewhere else
  where these have been used traditionally to treat
  diabetes!!

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MERCI BEAUCOUP