A new study shows evidence that cinnamon helps reduce blood glucose levels after eating, according to the most recent Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Researchers at Ball State University found that the addition of 6 grams of cinnamon (about 2.5 teaspoons) to hot farina cereal reduced blood glucose concentration by 24% during a two-hour period after eating.
For the randomized crossover study, 30 men and women ages 18 to 30 years were given one of two test meals: plain hot cereal or hot cereal with cinnamon. Participants were tested two times, receiving each breakfast once. Blood samples were taken seven times over a two-hour period after the start of the meal.
The addition of cinnamon to the cereal helped to flatten the glycemic response and reduce fluctuations in blood glucose in both the normal weight and obese study participants during the time following the meal.
Critical questions for future research, the authors wrote, are whether the reduction of blood glucose is maintained with long-term cinnamon supplementation and, if so, whether the reduction can delay or prevent the development of type 2 diabetes.
They concluded that cinnamon “may offer nutrition and dietetics practitioners and their clients a unique botanical-based preventive approach to modify blood glucose."
There are other spices and spice extractives—or oleoresins—that boast potential health benefits in addition to their role as seasoning.
