Hi Everyone,

I am looking for input on cinnamon as a means to lower blood glucose. I have been using search engines to locate articles and searching the board here and still have questions.

Is one form of cinnamon better or necessary for this purpose? What quantity do you recommend? If you have any permissable links to share, I'd love to check them out also.

I'd be interested in hearing what form you are taking your cinnamon in and how much you are taking. If you have seen results, that would be of interest also, of course ;)

Thanks for your input!
Peeps :wave:

A few months ago, I rededicated myself to controlling my diabetes. In January, I was recovering from back surgery and was beginning to feel like a member of the human race again. But in my 'celebration' I started eating like a pig. My doctor did blood work in April and my A1c was in the 9's, so he told me to cut it out.

So I began eating better, exercising, and taking 2 500 mg cinnamon capsules a day along with my meds. I got them from my local GNC store. I think it was 8 dollars for 100 capsules, which last me for almost 2 months.

I got retested in June, and my A1c was at 6.4, which is in control. And a visit to my doctor in August showed my A1c to be at 5.6, which I had never achieved before.

So, cinnamon was only one of 3 things that I did to try and help my diabetes, so I can't make a definite statement on how it has helped me in my quest along with diet and exercise changes.

I honestly think it is worth the approximately 6 dollars/month for the capsules in case it even lowers my BS just a few points. I hope that someone here might be able to try it without other changes and see what it does to their A1c reading.

wb

Thanks for the info. My A1c has been like 7.7 or 8.5 at times. I am about to go on insulin next week. I have tried regular cinnamon. I did not know it came in a capsule. I will definitely try it.

I know I need help. I've been a diabetic for probably 10 years and it seems that no matter how I eat, my numbers are still too high. I am guessing that my body has quit producing insulin. I am on the generic mixture of metformin and glucotrol, plus my Dr. added Actos. The actos helped but has not totally taken care of the high numbers.

Thanks so much,

Jecca1

Hi wb,

Thank you for your response! Congrats on the great improvements you have made in your bg numbers!!

That's great about feeling 'human' again after your back surgery too! I have had lots of back pain over the years, so can relate to your enthusiasm to feel human again - even if it led to a little over indulging in celebration ;) I am sure watching your diet/weight and exercising will be important to your back health too. Glad you had the blood work done to know you had to, "cut it out," as the doc said ;)

My bg numbers started rising a year ago, testing every 3 months or so and wound up in the diabetic range (had been 100 for the past many years when testing). I was surprised at the rapid increase. Coincidentally, or not, it started rising in conjunction with starting thyroid meds when diagnosed with Hashimoto's (hypothyroid). I have read that thyroid med is one drug that can elevate bg. I also have high cortisol, when last tested, and have read a connection between high bg and high cortisol - so wondering if other things besides diet/weight/exercise are contributing factors, in my case.

Anyways, when it kept climbing with each test last year, it was a wake-up call to jump on it. My A1c had gone from 5.5 when first tested and fbg of 110 to an A1c of 5.9 and fbg of 130 in about 9 months, I believe it was. I saw a dietician to get recommendations and started restricting carbs, dieting, exercising, and have lost 35 pounds so far and brought my A1c back down to 5.5 and my fbg on that day in the clinic was 106. I started monitoring my bg at home and have been getting nice numbers, since making the changes. However, recently, I have not been as good with my eating and my exercise has fallen off, for various reasons (can always find excuses, right - ugh!), so I do have to behave better if I am to see more improvements - but am at least maintaining.

Thanks much for sharing the info on what you have been doing in regard to cinnamon. I will check into the capsules, as I am finding it hard to find a way to consume as much powder cinnamon each day as I am reading/hearing recommended (anywhere from 1/4 - 1 tsp?). With eating low carb, it is harder to find ways to take in that much cinnamon on a daily basis when I don't eat cereal to sprinkle it on or many bread products, etc. I do like cinnamon, but not to eat it 'straight' by the 1/2 tsp or so. I tried putting it in drinks, but in cold drinks it just floats and sinks to the bottom, both, and I find it a little too overpowering anyways, mixed in any drinks at that quantity. If the capsules can provide the same benefit, that would probably be a better way for me to go.

If anyone has suggestions for eating the powder in a palatable way, I'd be interested.

I found it interesting/encouraging that cinnamon can lower cholesterol also, as I need help there too!

Best Wishes!
Peeps :wave: