Can this common spice help to manage diabetes?
Cinnamon at a Glance
Cinnamon is sourced from the inner bark of theCinnamomumtree.
The quills are sold as is or ground into a fine powder.
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Both forms are easy to find on grocery store shelves and anywhere spices and cooking ingredients are sold.
The other variety of cinnamon, cassia, is used to flavor most food products.
The distinctive flavor and aroma of cinnamon come from an essential oil called cinnamaldehyde.
It’s believed that this essential oil has both antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.Cinnamon also has significant amounts of antioxidants.
Conclusive studies investigating the use of cinnamon inmanaging diabetesare lacking.
However, there have been some positive findings.
The conclusions tend to be limited given the small size of the studies.
Others are simply poorly designed.
A 2019 review inClinical Nutritionreported that the most common side effects from cinnamon consumption include gastrointestinal symptoms andallergic reactions.
The side effects tended to be transient and improve on their own once treatment was stopped.
Also, when buying cinnamon, it’s best check for recalls and choose reputable brands.
Some cinnamon products have been reported to be contaminated with high levels of lead.
That said, adding reasonable amounts of cinnamon to food isn’t likely to be harmful.
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