A recent press release from the University of California, Santa Barbara stated, "Cinnamon may be more than a spice – it may have a medical application in preventing and combating diabetes. Cinnamon may help by playing the role of an insulin substitute in type II diabetes, according to cellular and molecular studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Iowa State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

‘Cinnamon itself has insulin-like activity and also can potentiate the activity of insulin,’ said Don Graves of UCSB. ‘The latter could be quite important in treating those with type II diabetes. Cinnamon has a bio-active component that we believe has the potential to prevent or overcome diabetes.’ Women who suffer from polycystic ovarian syndrome nearly always benefit from treatments for insulin resistance-whether or not they are diagnosed as insulin resistant. Further, the risk of developing diabetes is nearly 40% for women with PCOS-a very good reason to work to improve your insulin response."

Study dosages ranged from ¼ teaspoon to 1 teaspoon per day for type 2 diabetics, but more research is needed about effective amounts for those with insulin resistance. The active chemical is MHCP or methylhydroxychalcone polymer. This chemical is found in all types of cinnamon sold as a spice in the U.S. In the U.S. Cinnamomum cassia is legally sold as cinnamon. However, true cinnamon is Cinnamomum zeylanicum, or Cinnamomum verum.

MHCP has been shown to lower blood glucose levels, triglycerides and LDL cholesterol. Insuline resistance causes elevated blood glucose, triglycerides and LDL cholesterol. It is also an antioxidant. This is important because women with PCOS are more susceptible to the effects of the breakdown of cells due to oxidation.

The potential benefits of cinnamon are enormous when you consider how inexpensive it is. Many people who can not afford expensive drugs to treat insulin resistance or diabetes may one day be treated with cinnamon.

As always, talk to your health care practitioner and do not take anything while you are pregnant without clearing it with your doctor.

References:

* Cinnamon Extract Prevents the Insulin Resistance Induced by a High-fructose Diet. Horm Metab Res. 2004 Feb;36(2):119-25.

* Antihyperglycaemic effect of Cassia auriculata in experimental diabetes and its effects on key metabolic enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol. 2003 Jan-Feb;30(1-2):38-43.

* Isolation and characterization of polyphenol type-A polymers from cinnamon with insulin-like biological activity. J Agric Food Chem. 2004 Jan 14;52(1):65-70.

* Cinnamon Improves Glucose and Lipids of People With Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2003 Dec;26(12):3215-3218.