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Heart/Inflammation

Cinnamon

Common spice with modest evidence for lowering blood sugar and improving lipids in people with diabetes or insulin resistance.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon

55
score
B
evidence
Caution
risk
Quick Take

Small metabolic benefit for people with diabetes; low return for healthy adults, and cassia can stress the liver at high doses.

Cinnamon is a spice from the inner bark of Cinnamomum trees. The main commercial types are C. cassia (cassia) and C. verum (Ceylon). It contains polyphenols such as procyanidins and type-A polymers that may modestly improve insulin signaling and slow carbohydrate digestion. Meta-analyses suggest small reductions in fasting glucose, HbA1c, triglycerides, and LDL in people with type 2 diabetes or insulin resistance. Benefits are much less consistent in healthy adults.

Proven Benefits

01
Lowers fasting blood glucose
02
Reduces HbA1c
03
Lowers triglycerides
04
May lower LDL cholesterol
05
May lower blood pressure
06
May reduce hs-CRP
07
May reduce oxidative stress

Protocol

Amount
1-3 g species-identified powder or 250-500 mg standardized extract
Frequency
Once or twice daily
When
With meals, especially carbohydrate-containing meals.

Onset Time

8-12 weeks for glucose and lipid biomarkers

Who Should Consider

Adults with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes
People with insulin resistance
Those seeking postprandial glucose blunting
People with elevated triglycerides or LDL

Food Sources

  • Ground cinnamon spice (~2.6 g per teaspoon)
  • Cinnamon sticks used in tea or cooking

How It Works

Polyphenols in cinnamon may enhance insulin receptor signaling and promote GLUT4 translocation, improving glucose uptake in muscle and fat cells. They can also inhibit alpha-glucosidase and pancreatic amylase, slowing carbohydrate breakdown and post-meal glucose rises. Cinnamaldehyde and related compounds have antioxidant activity that may partly explain smaller changes in inflammatory markers.

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