14) "AS YET UNPROVEN" SUPPLEMENTS
g) Cinnamon
There is some "research" (the statistics are a little too vague for our tastes but…) which says cinnamon has large benefits for persons with type 2 diabetes. There is also research which says cinnamon has no effect. There are some good reasons to have some real doubts about the research and the claims that are made for cinnamon. It is claimed that cinnamon not only acts like insulin to reduce blood glucose levels but it is also claimed that cinnamon dramatically lowers LDL and that cinnamon reduces triglycerides, a total of three benefits on three separate body systems from one spice. It all raises a red flag; it is just too good to be true. It is very rare for any compound to have beneficial effects on two different systems within the body, let alone three systems, it just doesn't happen. And there apparently is no research being done by drug companies on the compounds claimed to be the active ingredients in cinnamon.
Richard A. Anderson, Ph.D., CNS, of the Nutrient Requirements and Functions Laboratory (NRFL) of the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center (BHNRC) in his article "Cinnamon, Glucose Tolerance and Diabetes" says the active components in cinnamon are not destroyed by heat and that cinnamon sticks or powder in tea will allow an individual with diabetes to achieve the benefits. He further states that: "Our recent human studies indicate that consuming roughly one half of a teaspoon of cinnamon per day or less leads to dramatic improvements in blood sugar, cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides." Then apparently Doctor Anderson changed his claims and now says that only cinnamon in a capsule is any good. He apparently based this on only his "personal experience" (Janet Raloff, "Coffee, Spices, Wine, New Dietary Ammo against Diabetes? Eur J Clin Invest 2006; 36 (5): 340 -344)
This really raises some red flags. Doctor Anderson apparently jumps from experimental to anecdotal evidence where he personally becomes a sample size of one. This is not "good research" and Doctor Anderson should know that. This type of anecdotal evidence "jump" just makes the whole line of research very questionable.
Current Chapter: 14) "AS YET UNPROVEN" SUPPLEMENTS
a) Introduction
b) The Good and the Bad
c) Vitamins and Antioxidants
d) Calcium and Dairy Intake
e) Potassium
f) Phytonutrients, Catechins and Flavonoids
g) Cinnamon
h) Herbal Supplements
i) Other "Panaceas"
j) Alcohol and Coffee
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