- Access to this full-text is provided by Hindawi.
- Learn more
Download available
Content available from International Journal of Food Science
This content is subject to copyright. Terms and conditions apply.
Research Article
The Effect of Different Amounts of Cinnamon Consumption on
Blood Glucose in Healthy Adult Individuals
Nildem Kizilaslan 1and Nihal Zekiye Erdem2
1Istanbul Medipol University Institute of Health Sciences, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Turkey
2Istanbul Medipol University School of Health Sciences, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Turkey
Correspondence should be addressed to Nildem Kizilaslan; nildemkizilaslan@gmail.com
Received 7 December 2018; Accepted 14 February 2019; Published 4 March 2019
Academic Editor: Vita Di Stefano
Copyright © Nildem Kizilaslan and Nihal Zekiye Erdem. is is an open access article distributed under the Creative
Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the
original work is properly cited.
Background. is study wasaimed at investigating the eect of consumption of dierent amountsof cinnamon on preprandial blood
glucose (PrBG), postprandial blood glucose (PoBG), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbAc),and body mass index (BMI). Methods. is
study was carried out on healthy adult individuals. e individuals weredivided into groups and monitoredfor days. e rst,
second, and third groups were given g/day, g/day, and g/day cinnamon, respectively. Before the beginning of the consumption
of cinnamon, HbAc and PrBG blood tests of the individuals were examined on an empty stomach at family practice centers. Two
hours aer these tests were carried out and breakfast, PoBG tests were performed. Results. According to the ndings of the study,
the dierences between the average weight measurements, BMI values, and HbAc values before consumption on days and
were not statistically signicant in the individuals consuming g, g, and g of cinnamon a day. e dierence between the average
PrBG measurements was found to be signicant in the individuals consuming g of cinnamon per day. e dierence between the
average PoBG measurements before consumption on days and was signicant in the individuals consuming g, g, and g
of cinnamon per day. Conclusions. In particular a – g of cinnamon consumption was found to aect certain blood parameters
of individuals positively. erefore, it is considered to be benecial to raise awareness of individuals to be conscious to regularly
consume cinnamon.
1. Introduction
e most common metabolic disease in the world is reported
to be type diabetes. It is estimated that this disease will
rise to million by []. e cause of type diabetes
is considered to be multifactorial. However, it is stated that
nutrition has a signicant role in the disease’s turning into a
chronic disease [].
e chemical content of cinnamon species is seen to
be dierent from each other. Accordingly, while the Chi-
nese cinnamon has –% cinnamaldehyde, this ratio
is –% in the Ceylon cinnamon. Moreover, this ratio
varies according to the quality of the cinnamon. Studies
have shown that ground cinnamon is more eective than
its extract. It has been reported in clinical studies that
Chinese cinnamon is more eective than Ceylon cinnamon
[].
Today, it is seen that research studies arguing that cin-
namon can be used against diabetes, which has become an
important health problem, have increased.
One of the most discussed eects of cinnamon has been
its eect of regulating individuals’ insulin resistance and
preprandial blood glucose [–]. Cinnamon is also claimed to
be a natural insulin stimulant [, ]. e natural agents found
in cinnamon serve as insulin to keep the blood glucose level
stable [].
Cinnamon exhibits characteristics that mimic insulin,
such as the ac tivity of biologically ac tive substances to act ivate
insulin receptor kinase, increasing glucose uptake, autophos-
phorylation of the insulin receptor, and glycogen synthase
activity []. It has been stated that cinnamon increases
glycogen storage by aecting the glycogen synthesis activity
[]. In a study, it was found that the cinnamon peel extract
would increase insulin sensitivity and raise glucose intake
Hindawi
International Journal of Food Science
Volume 2019, Article ID 4138534, 9 pages
https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/4138534
International Journal of Food Science
[]. Water-soluble components of cinnamon have been
found to enhance the eectiveness of the insulin signaling
pathway [].
ere is evidence that cinnamon provides glucose regu-
lation. It is not known for sure whether it controls the type
diabetes mellitus []. Procyanidin type-A polymers found in
cinnamon are stated to improve insulin receptor autophos-
phorylation and, thus, show their eect by increasing the
sensitivity to insulin [].
It has been shown that cinnamon, which is rich in
polyphenolic components, reduces oxidative stress and cor-
rects impaired preprandial glucose if consumed mg/dl a
day for weeks [].
Studies that examine the eects of cinnamon on individ-
uals are mostly focused on individuals who are not healthy.
However, literature reviews show that studies on the eects
of cinnamon consumption on healthy individuals are quite
insucient. is study was aimed at investigating the eect
of consumption of dierent amounts of cinnamon on PrBG,
PoBG,HbAc,andBMIinhealthyindividuals.
2. Material and Method
2.1. Research Agenda and Sample. e study was conducted
as a randomized-controlled clinical trial at the family practice
centers, Tokat/Turkey. is study was carried out between
March and April , , on healthy and voluntary
adult individuals. Healthy and voluntary adult people
participated in the study. e participants were divided into
groups according to the amounts of their daily cinnamon
consumption. e research was completed with people
in group , people in group , and people in group
. Individuals without chronic disease and not using drugs
were included in the study. Individuals with an allergy to
cinnamon, patients with symptoms suggestive of peptic ulcer
disease and those with a past history of peptic ulceration,
patients with chronic illness, and individuals using medi-
cal drugs were not included in the study. is study was
conducted according to the guidelines laid down in the
Declaration of Helsinki and all procedures involving human
subjects/patients were approved by the Istanbul Medipol
University Non-Interventional Clinical Researches Ethical
Council. All persons gave their informed consent prior to
their inclusion in the study. is research did not receive
any specic grant from funding agencies in the public,
commercial, or not-for-prot sectors.
2.2. Data Collection. e individuals in the rst, second, and
third groups who participated in the study were given g/day,
g/day, and g/day cinnamon, respectively. Cinnamon was
prepared completely by the researcher. When cinnamon was
prepared by the researcher, its freshness, shelf life, quality,
lack of additives, storage conditions, and shape were taken
into consideration. Cinnamomum cassia type cinnamon peel
was brought to an herbalist to specially have it ground. By
considering the amounts of consumption, g, g, and g
ground cinnamon bags were prepared for the individuals
in each group. Each person was given bags of ground
cinnamon depending on the amount he or she used. e
participants were recommended to take the cinnamon by
mixing it with some apple and milk. It was explained to
the individuals what would be done aer the th day of
the – days of cinnamon consumption. Body weights
(kg) and heights (cm) of the individuals were measured by
the researcher before they begun to consume cinnamon. A
portable stadiometer device was used to measure the heights.
Body weight measurements were carried out by using a +/-
g precision digital scale. e body mass indices (BMI) of
the individuals were calculated with the following formula.
BMI kg/m2=Body Weight kg
Height (m)2()
Messages were sent to each individual personally every day
in order to inform and remind them, and a mailing group
was created. rough this formation, it was ensured that they
consumed cinnamon every day. Before the beginning of the
consumption of cinnamon, aer fasting for at least hours,
preprandial blood glucose (PrBG) was obtained from the
subjects in the morning. Two hours aer these tests were
carried out and breakfast, postprandial blood glucose (PoBG)
tests were performed. Blood samples concentration in the
serum was determined by the hexokinase method. HbAc
was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography.
e serum samples were centrifuged for minutes at a speed
of rpm before the analyses. e same procedures for
preprandial blood glucose (PrBG) and postprandial blood
glucose were repeated on days and aer the start
of consumption. At the same time, the same procedure for
HbAc was repeated on day aer the start of consumption.
e study was registered in family practice centers.
2.3. Statistical Methods Performed for Data Analysis. e
SPSS . package program was used for the statistical analy-
ses of the study. In statistical analyses, the data were expressed
through descriptive values, arithmetic means ±standard
deviations, minimum and maximum values, frequencies, and
percentages. e chi-square test was used when comparing
two or more independent groups in categorical variables, and
the normality of the numerical variables was tested using
the Shapiro-Wilk test [, ]. Parametric paired (dependent)
samples t-tests were carried out for the data with normal
distribution in two dependent groups, and parametric one-
way analyses of variance for repeated measures were used for
the data with normal distribution in more than two groups.
e analysis results were interpreted by evaluating at %
condence interval and p<. signicance level.
3. Results
3.1. Certain Demographic Characteristics of Individuals. e
distribution according to gender and age groups of the
individuals consuming cinnamon is given in Table . Of the
individuals voluntarily participating in the study, .%
were female and .% were male. e average age of the
individuals was .±. years. Of the individuals, .%
wereintheagegroupof–,.%wereintheagegroup
International Journal of Food Science
T : Distribution of the cinnamon-consuming individuals by gender and age groups.
cinnamon consumption levels of individuals (g/day)
g g g Total P∗
Gender Number % Number % Number % Number % .
Women . . . .
Men . . . .
Total . . . .
Age groups .±. .±. .±. .±. .
- . . . .
- . . . .
+ . . . .
Total . . . .
∗e chi-square test was used when calculating the p values.
T : Distribution of the cinnamon-consuming individuals according to their anthropometric measurements.
cinnamon consumption levels of individuals (g/day)
g g g
Wom e n Me n Wom e n Men Wome n Me n
Height
(cm) . ±. . ±. .±. .±. . ±. .±.
Mean±SD . ±. .±. . ±.
Weig h t
(kg)
Body
Weig h t ∗.±. .±. . ±. .±. . ±. .±.
Mean±SD .±. .±. .±.
Body
Weig h t ∗.±. .±. . ±. .±. . ±. .±.
Mean±SD .±. .±. .±.
Body
Weig h t ∗.±. .±. .±. .±. . ±. .±.
Mean±SD .±. .±. .±.
P∗∗∗ . . .
BMI (kg/m2)
BMI ∗∗ .±. .±. .±. .±. .±. .±.
Mean±SD .±. .±. .±.
BMI∗∗ .±. .±. .±. .±. .±. .±.
Mean±SD .±. .±. .±.
BMI ∗∗ .±. .±. .±. .±. .±. .±.
Mean±SD .±. .±. .±.
P∗∗∗ . . .
∗Body Weight : Before Consumption; Body Weight : Day ; Body Weight : Day
∗∗BMI: Before Consumption; BMI: Day ; BMI Day
∗∗∗One-way ANOVA for Repeated Measures was used when calculating the p values.
of–,and.%wereintheagegroupofandabove.
ere was no statistically signicant dierence between the
levels of cinnamon consumption according to gender and age
groups of the individuals (p>.).
3.2. Height, Weight, and Anthropometric Measurements
of the Cinnamon-Consuming Individuals by Gender. e
distribution of the cinnamon-consuming individuals accord-
ing to their anthropometric measurements is given in Table .
Proportionally, there was no signicant change between the
preconsumption and postconsumption average body weights
of the individuals consuming g, g, and g of cinnamon.
Based on the analysis, there was no statistically signicant
dierence between the average body weight measurements
International Journal of Food Science
T : Eect of cinnamon on preprandial blood glucose level.
preprandial blood clucose (mg/dl)
Consumption Levels (g/day) before consumption () on day () on day () P∗Result
g .±.
(.-.)
.±.
(.-.)
.±.
(.-.) . not signicant
g .±.
(.-.)
.±.
(.-.)
.±.
(.-.) . not signicant
g .±.
(.-.)
.±.
(.-.)
.±.
(.-.) 0.035 significant(1-3)
∗One-way ANOVA for Repeated Measures was used when calculating the p values.
T : Eect of cinnamon on postprandial blood glucose level.
postprandial blood glucose (mg/dl)
Consumption Levels (g/day) before consumption () on day () on day () P∗Result
g .±.
(.-.)
.±.
(.-.)
.±.
(.-.) 0.028 significant(2-3)
g .±.
(.-.)
.±.
(.-.)
.±.
(.-.) 0.018 significant(1-3)
g .±.
(.-.)
.±.
(.-.)
.±.
(.-.) 0.017 significant(1-3)
∗One-way ANOVA for Repeated Measures was used when calculating the p values.
on days and before the start of the consumption of
cinnamon (p>.). ere were no proportional dierences
between the BMI averages before and aer consuming cinna-
mon. ere was no statistically signicant dierence between
the average BMI measurements on days and before the
start of the consumption of cinnamon (p>.).
3.3. Analysis of the Effect of Cinnamon on Blood Glucose
3.3.1. Preprandial Blood Glucose (PrBG) Level. Tabl e shows
the eect of cinnamon on preprandial blood glucose levels of
the individuals.
Compared to the initial measurements of average pre-
prandial blood glucose levels of the individuals consuming
cinnamon, there were decreases in averages on days and
, specically, .% and .% in those consuming g of
cinnamon per day, .% and .% in those consuming g of
cinnamon per day, and .% and .% in those consuming
g of cinnamon per day, respectively. ere was no statisti-
cally signicant dierence between the average preprandial
blood glucose measurements before the consumption of
cinnamon on days and in the individuals consuming
g and g of cinnamon per day (p>.). However, there
was a statistically signicant dierence between the average
preprandial blood glucose measurements before the con-
sumption of cinnamon on days and in the individuals
consuming g of cinnamon per day (p<.). e signicant
dierence was found to be between the average preprandial
blood glucose level before consumption () and the average
preprandial blood glucose level on day (). Accordingly,
the average preprandial blood glucose level measured aer
day showed a signicant decline compared to the average
preprandial blood glucose level before consumption.
3.3.2. Postprandial Blood Glucose (PoBG) Level. Ta b l e
shows the eect of cinnamon on postprandial blood glucose
levels of the individuals.
Compared to the initial measurements, an average of
.% of decline was observed on day of the cinnamon
consumption in the postprandial blood sugar levels of the
individuals consuming g of cinnamon per day, and an
averageof.%declinewasobservedonday.Statisti-
cally signicant dierences were found between the average
postprandial blood glucose levels of the individuals on the
initial day, on day and day (p<.). e signicant
dierencewasfoundtobebetweentheaveragepostprandial
blood glucose level on day () and that on day ().
Accordingly, the average postprandial blood glucose level
measured aer day showed a signicant decline compared
to the average postprandial blood glucose level on day .
Compared to the initial measurements, an average of
.% of decline was observed on day of the cinnamon
consumption in the postprandial blood sugar levels of the
individuals consuming g of cinnamon per day, and an
average of .% decline was observed on day . e
postprandial blood glucose of the individuals consuming
g of cinnamon per day decreased similarly by .%
and .%, respectively. ere was a statistically signicant
dierence between the average postprandial blood glucose
measurements before the consumption of cinnamon on
days and in the individuals consuming g and g
of cinnamon per day (p<.). e signicant dierence
was found to be between the average postprandial blood
glucose level before the beginning of cinnamon consump-
tion () and that on day (). Accordingly, the aver-
age postprandial blood glucose level measured aer day
showed a signicant decline compared to the average
International Journal of Food Science
T : e eect of cinnamon on the HbAc level.
HbAc level (%)
Consumption Levels (g/day) before consumption () on day () P∗Result
g . ±.
(.-.)
.±.
(.-.) . not signicant
g . ±.
(.-.)
.±.
(.-.) . not signicant
g . ±.
(.-.)
.±.
(.-.) . not signicant
∗Paired samples t-tests were used when calculating the p values.
postprandial blood glucose level before the consumption of
cinnamon.
3.3.3. HbA1c (Glycosylated Hemoglobin) Level. Ta b l e s hows
the eect of cinnamon on the HbAc levels of the individuals.
Compared to the initial measurements, .% decline
was observed on day of the cinnamon consumption in
the average HbAc levels of the individuals consuming g of
cinnamon per day, .% decline in those consuming g per
day, and .% decline in those consuming g per day. ere
was no statistically signicant dierence between the average
HbAc level measurements before consumption and on day
in the individuals consuming g, g, and g of cinnamon
per day (p>.).
4. Discussion
Considering the studies on individuals, it is seen that there
are positive eects of cinnamon consumption in healthy
individuals, although they have dierences. Predominantly
the studies on individuals who are not healthy attract atten-
tion in both the national and the international literature.
Studies on healthy individuals were observed to be very
limited. In this regard, studies on the eects of cinnamon
consumption of healthy individuals on blood glucose, as well
as studies on nonhealthy individuals, were covered. e main
aimofthisapproachwastoobservetheeectsofcinnamon
consumption not only on individuals who are healthy but
also on individuals who are not healthy, in terms of the blood
parameters that were addressed.
In a study on healthy individuals, dierent oral glucose
tests were administered to healthy individuals. Accordingly,
the individuals have consumed g of placebo, g of cinna-
mon, and g of cinnamon hours aer the oral glucose
test. In the group that consumed cinnamon, there was a
signicant decline in the total plasma glucose response, and
insulin sensitivity developed []. In another study of the
same researchers on healthy individuals, they have found that
cinnamon has made improvements in glucose and insulin
sensitivity during -day periods [].
In the study of Tang et al., it was found that there was
no change in preprandial blood glucose and blood lipids at
the end of weeks in healthy individuals who were given
cinnamon [].
It was found also in the present study that dierent levels
of cinnamon consumption caused a decrease in preprandial
blood glucose levels, although small in magnitude. It was
seen that there was also a statistically signicant dierence
between the average preprandial blood glucose measure-
ments before beginning the consumption of cinnamon and
on day in the individuals consuming g of cinnamon per
day.
In the study of Kim et al., hydroxycinnamic acid was
obtained by rening from cinnamon. ey investigated this
acid as an antidiabetic derivative. ey found that it had the
highest glucose transport activity. ey determined that it
reduced the plasma glucose by improving glucose transport
[]. In a study of obese and normal weight individuals, in the
measurements made minutes aer cinnamon consump-
tion, cinnamon was found to reduce the postprandial blood
glucose in both groups [].
It was seen also in the present study that there were
proportional declines in the postprandial blood glucose levels
of the individuals consuming g, g, and g of cinnamon
compared to the initial measurements and that there were
statistically signicant dierences, as well.
In a placebo-controlled study on volunteer patients
over the age of , the volunteers were given g, g, and
g of ground cinnamon aer meals for the rst days,
and a placebo treatment was administered for the next
days. Serum glucose levels dropped by –%. e supple-
mentationofgofgroundcinnamonperdaywasfoundto
improve preprandial blood glucose and blood lipid prole.
ere was no signicant change in the amount of ground
cinnamon supplementation in the placebo group []. Because
the target group was composed of diseased individuals, the
study has shown that cinnamon causes signicant positive
proportional changes in the blood glucose prole based on
the implementation. is may be attributed to the severity
of the diseased patients’ impaired preprandial blood glucose
levels.
However,asinthepresentstudy,thedeclineinthehealthy
individuals remained proportional at lower levels. is can be
explained by the fact that preprandial blood glucose levels are
within the normal range in healthy individuals. erefore, it
is possible to say that cinnamon consumed at certain amounts
contributes highly positively to the impaired preprandial
blood glucose levels of diseased individuals whereas it mainly
plays a regulating role in the preprandial blood glucose levels
in healthy individuals. As a matter of fact, there was no
signicant change in preprandial blood glucose and lipids in
the placebo group in the present study that was carried out,
International Journal of Food Science
which conrms this thought. erefore, in studies conducted
on individuals who are not healthy, when there are signicant
declines, the eect of drugs should not be overlooked,
considering that patients use drugs with eects that lower
their blood glucose levels.
It has been reported in a study that mg of cinna-
mon capsule per day provides positive improvement in the
preprandial plasma glucose level of individuals diagnosed
with metabolic syndrome [].
In another study carried out to investigate the eect of
consuming cinnamon at dierent levels on blood glucose,
patients with type diabetes were divided into three groups
of people. e patients in each group were given g, g,
and g cinnamon capsules per day for days. Blood glucose
levels of the patients included in the study were measured
at the beginning, on the th day, and on the th day,
aer consumption. According to the results of the study, it
was determined that cinnamon lowered the blood sugar of
patients distinctly and signicantly [].
In another study, studies (clinical, in vivo, and in
vitro) conducted until were identied and examined
by selecting clinical trials. From among these clinical
trials that were examined, studies with the desired char-
acteristics were evaluated. Ultimately, it was seen that, in all
studies demonstrating positive results, “Chinese cinnamon”
was used. According to the results of that study, it has
been emphasized that the amount and duration of use is
important in order to achieve the eect. Accordingly, it has
been suggested that at least – grams of ground or extract
Chinese cinnamon should be used – months in order to
see a minimal impact. Again, based on research results, it has
been shown that although it causes no eect on blood glucose
of people with normal blood glucose levels, it is eective on
blood glucose in people with type diabetes and prediabetes
[].
In the study of Stoecker et al., type diabetes
mellitus patients were evaluated for months. e use of
mg cinnamon capsules was found to cause a decrease in
preprandial and postprandial blood glucose levels [].
Compared to the initial measurements of average post-
prandial blood glucose levels of the individuals consuming
cinnamon, there were declines also in the present study in
averages on days and —specically, .% and .% in
those consuming g of cinnamon per day, .% and .%
in those consuming g of cinnamon per day, and .%
and .% in those consuming g of cinnamon per day,
respectively. e decrease in the postprandial blood glucose
of the individuals who consumed g was more than those of
the other groups.
In the study of Crawford et al., type diabetes
mellitus (HbAc>) patients were evaluated for days. It
was found that the daily consumption of g of cinnamon
capsules signicantly reduced the HbAc level. In the group
that used cinnamon, a .% decrease was observed in the
HbAcvalue.eHbAcvalueinthecontrolgroupdecreased
by .% at the end of months [].
In the study of Akilen et al., g/day Cinnamomum cassia
type cinnamon consumption for weeks was observed to
cause a signicant decline in HbAc level [].
In a study of prospective-controlled trials by Baker et al.,
cinnamon consumption was found to not alter preprandial
blood glucose, HbAc, and lipid parameters in patients with
type and type diabetes [].
A research study in Tabriz, Iran, was carried out on
patients with type diabetes. Of these patients, people
were in the experimental group, and people were in the
control group. In the study, the experimental group was given
. grams of cinnamon a day, while the control group was
given a capsule as a placebo with no eect on diabetes.
According to the results of the study, the preprandial blood
glucose and HbAc did not have a signicant dierence in
the control group. is dierence was found to be signicant
in the experimental group (p<.). It was found also in this
study that cinnamon caused positive eects on preprandial
blood glucose levels as well as HbAc levels in patients with
type diabetes [].
Another research study in Yazd, Iran, was carried out
on patients with type diabetes. Of these patients,
people were in the experimental group, and people were
in the control group. e study continued for weeks. e
experimental group was given g of cinnamon per day (
mg capsules every hours). e control group was given
capsules as a placebo that had no eect on diabetes. At the
end of the study, there was no signicant dierence between
thebloodglucoseandHbAcvaluesoftheexperimentaland
control groups [].
In the study of Lu et al., a group that consumed ground
cinnamon was compared with a placebo group. e study
included Chinese people with type diabetes mellitus.
At the end of days, a signicant decline was observed in
HbAc. No signicant decline was observed in the placebo
group. Preprandial blood glucose was found to decline
signicantly in both groups [].
A meta-analysis of clinical trials involving cinnamon
has included people. It was found that cinnamon reduced
preprandial blood glucose, and HbAc decreased in short-
term studies []. In another study, diabetes patients with
an average HbAc level of.% were given g of cinnamon per
day for months. It was reported that there was no change in
preprandial blood glucose and HbAc levels [].
In the present study, although there were proportionally
small changes in HbAc levels at dierent levels of consump-
tion, they were not signicant. In all three groups, there
was no statistically signicant dierence between the average
HbAc level measurements before consuming cinnamon and
on day .
Research studies examining the eects of cinnamon on
blood sugar of animals were found during the literature
review. In a study, in which the eect of the cinnamon on
insulin resistance and body composition was examined,
male Wistar mice were fed with a high-fat and high-fructose
diet. A total of g of cinnamon per kilogram was given with
a high-fat and high-fructose diet. It was found that insulin
sensitivity decreased, and body composition changed in the
mice that were fed [].
Kannappan et al. carried out a study on male Albino
mice, dividing them into two groups: a control group and
a group consuming cinnamon along with a high-fructose
International Journal of Food Science
diet. A glucose tolerance test was administered. In mice with
a high-fructose diet, glucose tolerance was improved. No
signicant changes were found in low doses [].
In a study carried out by Qin et al, cinnamon components
were added to the control group’s drinking water to observe
whether the cinnamon components increased the glucose use
of male Wistar mice. A high-fructose diet was administered
to the control and experimental groups for weeks. e
consumption of cinnamon components was found to prevent
the development of insulin resistance in mice with high-
fructose diet in the control group [].
In their study, Taher et al. found that water-soluble cin-
namon polyphenols developed adipogenesis []. In another
study, cinnamon was found to activate insulin-induced glu-
cose use in the epididymal adipose tissue in mice. us,
they have found that it improves the glucose and insulin
metabolism [].
In in vivo studies, plasma glucose and insulin concen-
trations of mice were examined. Cinnamomum cassia was
foundtobemoreeectivethanCinnamomum zeylanicum
and reduced glucose levels in the blood glucose tolerance test
[].
In a study investigating the antidiabetic eect of Cin-
namomum cassia, cinnamon was given to animals with type
diabetes mellitus for weeks. Glucose intensity in the
blood was found to be reduced signicantly in this period
[].
Streptozotocin was given to diabetic Wistar mice for
days to examine the components of Cinnamomum zey-
lanicum exhibiting an antidiabetic eect, and cinnamalde-
hyde was administered. Plasma glucose concentration has
decreased signicantly compared to the control group. More-
over, the administration of cinnamaldehyde has lowered the
HbAc level [].
In another study, mice were given cinnamon oil
(. mg/kg and mg/kg) for days. In the group
receiving mg/kg cinnamon oil, the preprandial plasma
glucose level was found to be signicantly reduced compared
to that in the control group. Additionally, healing was
observed in pancreatic cell islets [].
A study was carried out in Jordan on patients with
type diabetes for weeks; the patients were asked to take
g of ground cinnamon (two milligrams of cinnamon
capsules) immediately aer breakfast, lunch, and dinner; and,
as a result, a daily dose of g of cinnamon was found to be
eective in reducing blood glucose in a short time [].
In a parallel study on patients with type diabetes aer
menopause, the patients were given cinnamon (Cinnamo-
mum cassia, . g/day) and placebo supplements for weeks.
Based on the study, no change was detected in preprandial
blood glucose, preprandial insulin and HbAc levels, blood
lipids, and whole-body insulin resistance/sensitivity []. In
another study, postmenopausal women were examined.
e consumption of mg of cinnamon per day has been
observed not to reduce blood sugar compared to placebo
[]. In another study, postmenopausal women with type
diabetes mellitus were evaluated. It was observed that
consuming capsules containing mg of cinnamon times
a day for months had no signicant eect [].
5. Conclusion
It has taken place in both national and international literature
that cinnamon reduces blood glucose in nonhealthy individ-
uals, and many studies have been carried out on this subject.
However, studies demonstrating the eect of cinnamon on
thebloodglucoseofhealthyindividualsarelittleifany.In
this study, it has been proven that cinnamon causes positive
changes in the blood glucose levels of healthy individuals. In
healthy individuals, the eects of cinnamon on blood glucose
are positive but are in a way that is regulatory and to keep the
blood glucose within the normal values/limits. Cinnamon led
to signicant changes in certain blood parameters examined
at dierent consumption levels in both proportional and
statistical terms. However, it can be said that this change
diered depending on the daily consumed amount and that
the dierentiation increased when the consumed amount was
– g. For this reason, more detailed and long-term studies
are needed for the use of cinnamon in healthy individuals.
More benecial results can thus be achieved by enriching the
data on the eects of cinnamon on healthy individuals.
Data Availability
No data were used to support this study.
Ethical Approval
is study was conducted according to the guidelines laid
down in the Declaration of Helsinki and all procedures
involving human subjects/patients were approved by the
Istanbul Medipol University Non-Interventional Clinical
Researches Ethical Council.
Consent
All persons gave their informed consent prior to their
inclusion in the study.
Conflicts of Interest
e authors declare that they have no conict of interest.
Authors’ Contributions
Nildem Kizilaslan and Nihal Zekiye Erdem equally con-
tributed to the conception and design of the research,
contributed to the acquisition, analysis, and interpretation
of the data, draed the manuscript, critically revised the
manuscript, agreed to be fully accountable for ensuring the
integrity and accuracy of the work, and read and approved
the nal manuscript.
References
[] S.Wild,G. Roglic,A.Green,R. Sicree,andH.King,“Global
prevalence of diabetes: estimates for the year and projec-
tions for ,” Diabetes Care,vol.,no.,pp.–,.
International Journal of Food Science
[]J.S.Carter,J.A.Pugh,andA.Monterrosa,“Non-insulin
dependent diabetes mellitus in minorities in United States,”
Annals of Internal Medicine,vol.,no.,pp.–,.
[] J. Gruenwald, T. Brendler, and C. Jaenicke, PDR for Herbal
Medicine, Medical Economics Company, Montale, NJ, USA,
nd edition, .
[] A.Khan,M.Safdar,M.M.AliKhan,K.N.Khattak,andR.A.
Anderson, “Cinnamon improves glucose and lipids of people
with type diabetes,” Diabetes Care,vol.,no.,pp.–
, .
[] K.J.Jarvill-Taylor,R.A.Anderson,andD.J.Graves,“Ahydrox-
ychalcone derived from cinnamon functions as a mimetic for
insulininT-Ladipocytes,”Journal of the American College
of Nutrition,vol.,no.,pp.–,.
[]M.Safdar,A.Khan,M.M.A.K.Khattak,andM.Siddique,
“Eect of various doses of cinnamon on blood glucose in
diabetic individuals,” Pakistan Journal of Nutrition,vol.,no.
, pp. –, .
[] C.L.Broadhurst,M.M.Polansky,andR.A.Anderson,“Insulin-
like biological activity of culinary and medicinal plant aqueous
extracts in vitro,” Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry,
vol.,no.,pp.–,.
[] D.G.Barceloux,“Cinnamon(Cinnamomum species),” Disease-
a-Month,vol.,no.,pp.–,.
[] W.L.Baker,G.Gutierrez-Williams,C.M.White,J.Kluger,and
C. I. Coleman, “Eect of cinnamon on glucose control and lipid
parameters,” Diabetes Care,vol.,no.,pp.–,.
[] J. Hong, G. Yang, Y. B. Kim, S. H. Eom, J. Lew, and H. Kang,
“Anti-inammatory activity of cinnamon water extract in vivo
and in vitro LPS-induced models,” BMC Complementary and
Alternative Medicine,vol.,no.,articleno.,.
[] J.Imparl-Radosevich,S.Deas,M.M.Polanskyetal.,“Regu-
lation of PTP- and insulin receptor kinase by fractions from
cinnamon: implications for cinnamon regulation of insulin
signalling,” Hormone Research in Paediatrics,vol.,no.,pp.
–, .
[] J. Gruenwald, J. Freder, and N. Armbruester, “Cinnamon and
health,” Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition,vol.,
no. , pp. –, .
[] C. K. Chase and C. E. McQueen, “Cinnamon in diabetes
mellitus,” American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy,vol.,
no.,pp.–,.
[] A.-M.Roussel,I.Hininger,R.Benaraba,T.N.Ziegenfuss,and
R. A. Anderson, “Antioxidant eects of a cinnamon extract in
people with impaired fasting glucose that are overweight or
obese,” Journal of the American College of Nutrition,vol.,no.
,pp.–,.
[] H. Myles, D. A. Wolfe, and E. Chicken, Nonparametric Statistical
Methods, Wiley Series in Probability and Statictics, Wiley, rd
edition, .
[] P. Royston, “Approximating the Shapiro-Wilk W-test for non-
normality,” Statistics and Computing,vol.,no.,pp.–,
.
[] T. P. J. Solomon and A. K. Blannin, “Eects of short-term
cinnamon ingestion on in vivo glucose tolerance,” Diabetes,
Obesity and Metabolism,vol.,no.,pp.–,.
[] T. P. Solomon and A. K. Blannin, “Changes in glucose tolerance
and insulin sensitivity following weeks of daily cinnamon
ingestion in healthy humans,” European Journal of Applied
Physiology,vol.,no.,pp.–,.
[] M. Tang, D. E. Larson- Meyer, and M. Liebman, “Eec t of cinna-
mon and turmeric on urinary oxalate excretion, plasma lipids,
and plasma glucose in healthy subjects,” American Journal of
Clinical Nutrition,vol.,no.,pp.–,.
[] W. Kim, L. Y. Khil, R. Clark et al., “Naphthalenemethyl ester
derivative of dihydroxyhydrocinnamic acid, a component of
cinnamon, increases glucose disposal by enhancing transloca-
tion of glucose transporter ,” Diabetologia,vol.,no.,pp.
–, .
[] A. Magistrelli and J. C. Chezem, “Eect of ground cinnamon
on postprandial blood glucose concentration in normal-weight
and obese adults,” J
o
urnaloftheAcademyofNutritionand
Dietetics, vol. , no. , pp. –, .
[] T. N. Ziegenfuss, J. E. Hoeins, R. W. Mendel, J. Landis, and
R. A. Anderson, “Eects of a water-soluble cinnamon extract
on body composition and features of the metabolic syndrome
in pre-diabetic men and women,” Journal of the International
Society of Sports Nutrition,vol.,no.,pp.–,.
[] P. A. Davis and W. Yokoyama, “Cinnamon intake lowers fasting
blood glucose: me ta-analysis,” Journal of Medicinal Food,vol.,
no. , pp. –, .
[] B. J. Stoecker, Z. Zhan, R. Luo et al., “Cinnamon extract lowers
blood glucose in hyper-glycemic subjects (abstract),” FASEB
Journal, .
[] P. Crawford, “Eectiveness of cinnamon for lowering
hemoglobin AC in patients with type diabetes: a randomized,
controlled trial,” Journal of the American Board of Family
Medicine, vol. , no. , pp. –, .
[] R. Akilen, A. Tsiami, D. Devendra, and N. Robinson, “Glycated
haemoglobin and blood pressure-lowering eect of cinnamon
in multi-ethnic type diabetic patients in the UK: a random-
ized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial,” Diabetic
Medicine, vol. , no. , pp. –, .
[] H.Khadem,A.R.Farsad,B.Pourghassem,A.Ali-Asgharzadeh,
and A. Nemati, “Eect of cinnamon on glycemic control and
insulin resistance in type II diabetes patients: a randomized
clinical trial,” Journal of Ardabil University of Medical Sciences,
vol.,no.,pp.–,.
[] M. Zahmatkesh, H. Fallah Huseini, R. Hajiaghaee, M. Heidari,
A. Mehrafarin, and B. Tavakoli-far, “e eects of Cinnamo-
mum zeylanicum J. Presl on blood glucose level in patients
with type diabetes, a double-blind clinical trial,” Journal of
Medicinal Plants, vol. , no. , pp. –, .
[] T.Lu,H.Sheng,J.Wu,Y.Cheng,J.Zhu,andY.Chen,“Cinna-
mon extract improves fasting blood glucose and glycosylated
hemoglobin level in Chinese patients with type diabetes,”
Nutrition Research, vol. , no. , pp. –, .
[] R. Akilen, A. Tsiami, D. Devendra, and N. Robinson, “Cinna-
mon in glycaemic control: Systematic review andmeta analysis,”
Clinical Nutrition,vol.,no.,pp.–,.
[] R. Nahas and M. Moher, “Complemantary and alternative
medicine for the treatmentof type diabetes,” Canadian Family
Physician,vol.,pp.–,.
[] K. Couturier, C. Batandier, M. Awada et al., “Cinnamon
improves insulin sensitivity and alters the body composition
in an animal model of the metabolic syndrome,” Archives of
Biochemistry and Biophysics,vol.,no.,pp.–,.
[] S. Kannappan, T. Jayaraman, P. Rajasekar, M. K. Ravichandran,
andC.V.Anuradha,“Cinnamonbarkextractimprovesglucose
metabolism and lipid prole in the fructose-fed rat,” Singapore
Medical Journal,vol.,no.,pp.–,.
International Journal of Food Science
[] B.Qin,M.Nagasaki,M.Ren,G.Bajotto,Y.Oshida,andY.Sato,
“Cinnamon extract prevents the ins¨ulin resistance induced by
ahigh-fructosediet,”Hormone and Metabolic Research,vol.,
no.,pp.–,.
[]M.Taher,F.A.AbdulMajid,andM.R.Sarmidi,“Cinnam-
tannin B activity on adipocytes formation,” Medical Journal of
Malaysia,vol.,no.,pp.-,.
[] E. J. Verspohl, K. Bauer, and E. Neddermann, “Antidiabetic
eect of Cinnamomum cassia and Cinnamomum zeylanicum
in vivo and in vitro,” Phytotherapy Research,vol.,no.,pp.
–, .
[] S. H. Kim, S. H. Hyun, and S. Y. Choung, “Anti-diabetic eect
of cinnamon extract on blood glucose in db/db mice,” Journal
of Ethnopharmacology,vol.,no.-,pp.–,.
[] P. Subash Babu, S. Prabuseenivasan, and S. Ignacimuthu, “Cin-
namaldehyde-A potential antidiabetic agent,” Phytomedicine,
vol. , no. , pp. –, .
[] H. Ping, G. Zhang, and G. Ren, “Antidiabetic eects of cinna-
mon oil in diabetic KK-Ay mice,” Food and Chemical Toxicology,
vol. , no. -, pp. –, .
[] A. R. Al Jamal, “Eects of cinnamon on blood glucose and
lipids levels in diabetic patients (type),” African Journal of
Biochemistry Research,vol.,pp.–,.
[] I. Rudkowska, “Functional foods for health: focus on diabetes,”
Maturitas, vol. , no. , pp. –, .
[] K.Vanschoonbeek,B.J.W.omassen,J.M.Senden,W.K.W.
H. Wodzig, and L. J. C. Van Loon, “Cinnamon supplementation
does not improve glycemic control in postmenopausal type
diabetes patients,” Journal of Nutrition,vol.,no.,pp.–
, .
[] S. M. Blevins, M. J. Leyva, J. Brown, J. Wright, R. H. Scoeld,
andC.E.Aston,“Eectofcinnamononglucoseandlipidlevels
in non-insulin-dependent type diabetes,” Diabetes Care,vol.
,no.,pp.-,.
Available via license: CC BY
Content may be subject to copyright.