The basis for a new way to prevent or treat “metabolic syndrome” could be in your kitchen cabinet — cinnamon. Metabolic syndrome refers to a group of health factors in a single person that lead to a greater risk of developing heart disease. This includes high blood pressure, insulin resistance, cholesterol problems, and obesity (especially when fat is concentrated around the waistline).
This health condition is becoming alarmingly common, with the numbers of metabolic syndrome sufferers expected to jump to 50 million to 75 million within the next three years in the U.S. alone. Genetics and lifestyle are thought to contribute to an individual’s risk for this syndrome. It’s really important that we address the rise in metabolic syndrome, especially because of its link to two major diseases: heart disease and diabetes.
A placebo-controlled, double-blind study, recently presented at the 47th annual meeting of the American College of Nutrition, has broken some ground in the area of metabolic syndrome, showing that certain components of cinnamon extract could help fix insulin sensitivity in some people.
In the healthy human body, the pancreas releases the hormone insulin, which plays a pivotal role in blood sugar metabolism (the crucial supply of energy to the body’s cells). In insulin resistance, the body’s cells no longer react as they should to insulin, and more of the hormone is required to have the proper effect. In addition to being a risk factor for metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance is also a precursor to Type 2 diabetes.
So, to see if the spice could influence insulin sensitivity, researchers looked at 24 people with impaired fasting glucose levels (also known as prediabetes). Every day for 12 weeks, the study participants received either placebo or 500 mg of cinnamon extract.
At the end of the study, the researchers found that antioxidant levels had increased in the blood of the patients taking the cinnamon supplement. Moreover, these patients had a decrease in a substance linked to oxidative stress, while the placebo takers did not experience any such change.
This means that cinnamon extract could somehow boost the body’s ability to fight off oxidative stress. This is a damaging process in the body that is thought to lead to many different diseases, including stroke and heart attack.
Other studies have shown that cinnamon could reduce blood glucose, triglyceride, LDL (bad) cholesterol, and total cholesterol levels. Cinnamon could also have the potential to bring down high blood pressure as well.
Don’t overdo it on the whole form of cinnamon — it’s believed that too much of the spice in this form or as a fat- soluble extract could have negative health consequences. Check with your doctor or natural health specialist to see what cinnamon supplement is best for you and for dosage information. It’s also extremely important to remember that if you have metabolic syndrome or risk factors associated with it, you need to make dietary and lifestyle changes.
It’s the usual list: stop smoking; cut down on drinking; maintain a healthy diet with limited fats and carbohydrates, and greater amounts of fruits and vegetables; and exercise. Go for a daily walk, take an aerobics class, incorporate swimming or tennis into your life — just get out there and get active. Natural options such as cinnamon extract are only to be used in conjunction with these types of measures — not as replacements.
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Tags: glucose, obesity
