Cinnamon May Not Affect Insulin Sensitivity

Cinnamon May Not Affect Insulin Sensitivity

MAASTRICHT, NetherlandsCinnamon may not improve insulinsensitivity in Type 2 diabetics, according to a new study published in the Journalof Nutrition (136:977-80, 2006). In the human clinical conducted atMaastricht University, 25 postmenopausal patients with Type 2 diabetesparticipated in a six-week intervention and received either 1.5 g/d of cinnamon(Cinnamomum cassia) or a placebo. Oral glucose tolerance, blood lipidprofiles and whole-body insulin sensitivity were determined at baseline, twoweeks and end of study. Cinnamon supplementation did not affect the blood lipid profile, glucosetolerance or whole-body insulin sensitivity.

Tim Romero, executive vice president at Integrity NutraceuticalsInternationalthe suppliers of the patented cinnamon extract Cinnulin PF®,noted that the study only validates the fact that levels of the activecomponents in cinnamon can vary greatly among species. Quantification of the active component is crucial when trying to proveefficacy, he said. We have researched several species of Cinnamonum andfound that the Type-A polymers vary greatly in concentration, with greatvariation even within the same class of Cinnamonum cassia.