Spice May Help Blood Sugar Balancing

A new study explored the potential therapeutic effect of a popular spice on insulin sensitivity and blood lipid levels. In the United States, 23.6 million individuals are affected by diabetes, with another 57 million people with pre-diabetes and at-risk for developing the disease.

This new study evaluated the effect of cinnamon extract on insulin sensitivity and levels of blood lipids in mice. In this study, mice were fed a high-fructose diet to induce insulin resistance, the precursor to type 2 diabetes in which increasing levels of insulin are required to move blood glucose into the cells. The mice were then supplemented with 50 mg/kg of cinnamon extract per day for 8 weeks.

The results showed that the group of mice receiving the cinnamon extract had reduced levels of blood glucose, plasma insulin, triglycerides, total cholesterol and levels of “bad” cholesterol sub-fractions. The researchers also showed that these changes were not due to changes in food intake or body weight. Furthermore, the researchers found that the cinnamon extract directly affects the genes that play a role in regulating the level of enzymes responsible for synthesizing fatty acids as well as numbers of cell membrane receptors that are important for glucose and lipid transport.

Thus, the study showed that cinnamon extract modulated several physiological functions related to regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism, and that these changes result in improved levels of blood glucose, insulin and lipids.

Reference:

Qin B, Polansky MM, Anderson RA. Cinnamon Extract Regulates Plasma Levels of Adipose-derived Factors and Expression of Multiple Genes Related to Carbohydrate Metabolism and Lipogenesis in Adipose Tissue of Fructose-fed Rats. Horm Metab Res. 2009 Nov 23. Published Online Ahead of Print.

Cinnamon Extract is available here as a water-soluble cinnamon extract developed with the assistance of noted cinnamon researcher Dr. Richard Anderson. It is also found in GluControl™ along with other synergistic ingredients.