Cinnamon: The Benefits of Controlling Blood Sugar

If there’s one spice almost everyone has in their pantry, it is cinnamon.  Researchers have found that cinnamon is a viable contender in the fight against diabetes, as the study in Diabetic Medicine reveals.

One of cinnamon’s most impressive health benefits is its ability to improve blood glucose control. Just half a teaspoon of cinnamon a day has been shown to significantly reduce blood sugar levels, triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, and total cholesterol levels in people with type 2 diabetes.

However, as helpful as supplements like cinnamon can be they are not substitutes for proper diet and lifestyle choices. Still, it is a powerful addition to an already healthy lifestyle.

Here’s a sprinkling of cinnamon’s healthy benefits:

1. Cinnamon can increase your glucose metabolism about 20-fold, which significantly improves blood sugar regulation.

2. Cinnamon has been found to have “insulin-like effects” due to a bioactive compound, qualifying it as a candidate for an insulin substitute.

3. Cinnamon slows the emptying of your stomach to reduce sharp rises in blood sugar following meals, and improves the effectiveness of insulin's action on your body's cells.  (Improved insulin sensitivity)

4. Cinnamon actually enhances your antioxidant defenses. A study published in 2009 stated, “Polyphenols from cinnamon could be of special interest in people who are overweight with impaired fasting glucose since they might act as both insulin sensitizers and antioxidants.”

5. A bioflavonoid found in cinnamon called proanthocyanidin may alter the insulin-signaling activity in your fat cells.

In addition cinnamon can play a role in…

• Supporting digestive function
• Relieving congestion
• Relieving pain and stiffness of muscles and joints
• Reducing inflammation and symptoms of arthritis
• Helping to prevent urinary tract infections, tooth decay and gum disease
• Relieving menstrual discomfort
• Stimulating circulation with blood-thinning compounds

With all these benefits, you may want to grab your spice container of cinnamon out of the cabinet and put it on the table next to the salt and pepper! 

Our pharmacists recommend CINNergy™ from NuMedica.  CINNergy™ offers the powerful effects of cinnamon combined with other complimentary nutrients for synergistic benefits to support:
• Healthy Blood Glucose Metabolism and Regulation
• Healthy Insulin Activity
• Healthy Lipid and Triglyceride Metabolism
• Optimal Blood Circulation
CINNergy™ is NuMedica’s advanced blood sugar support formula to enhance insulin sensitivity and optimize healthy postprandial (after mealtime) blood sugar levels.  It features 300 mg of Cinnulin PF™, a 100% water-soluble cinnamon extract.

CINNergy™ features five key ingredients for healthy blood sugar and insulin function in healthy individuals: Cinnamon, American Ginseng, Gymnema, Green Tea Polyphenols, and Fenugreek in therapeutic dosages.

Resources: Dr. Joseph Mercola, Huffpost Health, 4-03-11.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/cinnamon-diabetes-_b_839487.html

Fish Oil Plus B-Vitamins to Lower Homocysteine

Research has linked the amino acid homocysteine to heart attack risk. The higher your levels of homocysteine, the greater your risk of having a heart attack. You may also know that one of the most effective ways to lower your homocysteine is with B vitamins, B-Replete from NuMedica.  But researchers recently found something you can take with those B vitamins that makes them even more effective.

In this study, researchers reviewed the data from 11 trials, which included more than 720 participants. They found that taking omega-3 fatty acids resulted in significantly lower levels of homocysteine in the blood. And it didn't matter if the source of the fatty acids was from diet or from supplements.

The researchers found evidence that answers why omega-3 fats lower homocysteine. They deactivate the enzyme that's necessary for the amino acid to form.

Science may one day find that homocysteine isn't the harbinger of disease everyone says it is, much like we've seen with cholesterol. No research has found that homocysteine itself causes heart attacks. All we know is that high levels tend to be present when heart attacks occur.

However, there is still much debate in the scientific community about homocysteine. That's because many of the best studies on the amino acid don't show an impressive association and that's not all. Many studies from well-respected groups didn't find any relation between homocysteine levels and either heart attacks or strokes.

Your body produces homocysteine naturally. So we can't say that it's a dangerous amino acid. In fact, it's difficult to find any studies looking at what homocysteine actually does. I suspect we'll see those studies before long. But because the body produces it, I take that to mean the body needs it. And high homocysteine levels are probably the body's response to some abnormal condition. In other words, I think homocysteine may be the body's way of protecting against the problems that cause heart attacks.

When you take B vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids, they work to correct the abnormal condition that leads up to the heart attack. So your body doesn't have to produce as much homocysteine. This is the best way to treat the higher levels — fix the underlying problem.

So take plenty of high-quality fish oils. The manufacturer should guarantee the product is completely free from any contamination or rancidity. Our pharmacy highly recommends Omega products from NuMedica.  Omega 950 is the highest strength available and I commonly recommend patients take three to six capsules per day divided between two to three different doses. B-Replete is NuMedica’s high-quality B-complex supplement which enhances energy production and much more.  Using riboflavin-5-phospate gives the best form of the supplement compared to cheaper but inferior products that use riboflavin hydrochloride (HCl).  This is just one example of how B-Replete has the “real vitamins” in it at dose levels that matter.