Cinnamon for Diabetes?

[Guest guest]

I found this in a newsletter...........Interesting!

Dena

 

SPOONFUL OF CINNAMON MAY HELP DIABETICS

People with type 2 diabetes may improve their ability to regulate

their blood sugar by adding a little spice to their life, report

researchers. In preliminary findings, cinnamon helped

fat cells recognize and respond to insulin, the hormone that

removes excess glucose (sugar) from the blood and deposits it

into cells.  In a test tube and in animal studies, the spice

appeared to increase glucose metabolism by about 20 times, said

Dr. Richard Anderson, lead scientist at the Beltsville, Maryland

Human Nutrition Center, a branch of the US Department of Agriculture

(USDA).

" This is a very good means of improving blood sugar with minimal

means and minimal cost, " he told Reuters Health.  " This could

help millions and millions of people. "

The majority of the more than 16 million Americans who suffer

from diabetes have type 2 diabetes, a disease in which the cells

fail to recognize insulin.  As a result, the amount of

sugar in the blood remains high, leading to fatigue and blurred

vision.  Over the long term, excess blood glucose can increase

the risk of heart attack, kidney failure and blindness.

Diabetes is the sixth-leading cause of death in the U.S., according

to the American Diabetes Association. Anderson explained that his mostly

unpublished research shows that a compound in cinnamon - methylhydroxy

chalcone polymer (MHCP) - makes fat cells more responsive to insulin by

activating

the enzyme that causes insulin to bind to cells and inhibiting the enzyme

that blocks this process.

While it is too soon to recommend the spice as a regular treatment

for type 2 diabetes, Anderson said patients can try adding 1/4-1 teaspoon of

cinnamon to their food. " The worst that will happen is it won't do any good

and the best is that it will help dramatically, " he said. " Clinical trials

using a cinnamon extract on humans are due to begin in 6 months, " Anderson

said.