- With Mayo Clinic endocrinologist
Maria Collazo-Clavell, M.D.
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Maria Collazo-Clavell, M.D.
Maria Collazo-Clavell, M.D.
Dr. Maria Collazo-Clavell is board certified in internal medicine, endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism. She's a consultant in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism & Nutrition at Mayo Clinic and an associate professor at College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic.
The Aibonito, Puerto Rico, native has been with Mayo Clinic since 1994.
She's a member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, the American College of Endocrinology, the American Diabetes Association and The Endocrine Society.
Dr. Collazo-Clavell is medical editor of diabetes content on Mayo's health information website and for "Mayo Clinic The Essential Diabetes Book." Her clinical interests include management of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, obesity and nutritional disorders.
Risk factors (1)
- Diabetes: Does alcohol and tobacco use increase my risk?
Symptoms (1)
- The dawn phenomenon: What can you do?
Complications (1)
- Diabetes: How do I help protect my liver?
Treatments and drugs (5)
- Avandia safety concerns: What should I do?
- Diabetes management: Does aspirin therapy prevent heart problems?
- Blood glucose monitors: What factors affect accuracy?
- see all in Treatments and drugs
Lifestyle and home remedies (11)
- Diabetes: Are electric blankets off-limits?
- Vegetarian diet: Can it help me control my diabetes?
- Air pollution and exercise: Is outdoor exercise risky?
- see all in Lifestyle and home remedies
Alternative medicine (1)
- Diabetes treatment: Can cinnamon lower blood sugar?
Prevention (2)
- Healthy heart for life: Avoiding heart disease
- Sodium nitrate in meat: Heart disease risk factor?
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Question
Diabetes treatment: Can cinnamon lower blood sugar?
Is it true that cinnamon can lower blood sugar in people who have diabetes?
Answer
from Maria Collazo-Clavell, M.D.
Whether cinnamon can lower blood sugar is a topic of debate — but recent research suggests that cinnamon may be helpful as a supplement to regular diabetes treatment in people with type 2 diabetes.
One study published in 2009 found that cinnamon taken twice a day for 90 days improved hemoglobin A1C levels — a reflection of average blood sugar level for the past two to three months — in people with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes (hemoglobin A1C levels greater than 7 percent).
More research is needed to confirm these findings and determine how cinnamon supplementation leads to these benefits. One theory is that cinnamon increases insulin action.
If you have diabetes, remember that treatment is a lifelong commitment of blood sugar monitoring, healthy eating, regular exercise and, sometimes, diabetes medications or insulin therapy. Consult your doctor if you have questions or concerns about your diabetes treatment plan.
Next questionHealthy heart for life: Avoiding heart disease
- Crawford P. Effectiveness of cinnamon for lowering hemoglobin A1C in patients with type 2 diabetes: A randomized, controlled trial. Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine. 2009;22:507.
- Najm W, et al. Herbals used for diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. Primary Care Clinics Office Practice. 2010:37;237.
- Cassia cinnamon. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed July 10, 2010.
- Kirkham S, et al. The potential of cinnamon to reduce blood glucose levels in patients with type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism. 2009;11:1100.
- Solomon TPJ, et al. Changes in glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity following 2 weeks of daily cinnamon ingestion in healthy humans. European Journal of Applied Physiology. 2009:105;969.
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