Foods that lower blood sugar

[Jhanananda]

What are the health benefits of cinnamon?

Cinnamon is a spice that comes from the branches of wild trees that belong to the genus "Cinnamomum" - native to the Caribbean, South America, and Southeast Asia.

There are two main types of cinnamon:

    Cinnamomum verum (Ceylon cinnamon), most commonly used in the Western world
    Cinnamomum aromaticum (Cassia cinnamon or Chinese cinnamon), which originates from southern China, is typically less expensive than Ceylon cinnamon.

Cinnamon has been consumed since 2000 BC in Ancient Egypt, where it was very highly prized (almost considered to be a panacea). In medieval times doctors used cinnamon to treat conditions such as coughing, arthritis and sore throats.

Modern research indicates that this spice may have some very beneficial properties.

Health benefits

According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, Cinnamon is used to help treat muscle spasms, vomiting, diarrhea, infections, the common cold, loss of appetite, and erectile dysfunction (ED).

Cinnamon may lower blood sugar in people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, according to Diabetes UK.1 However high quality research supporting the claim remains scarce.

Fungal infections - according to the National Institutes of Health2, cinnamaldehyde - a chemical found in Cassia cinnamon - can help fight against bacterial and fungal infections.

Diabetes - cinnamon may help improve glucose and lipids levels3 in patients with type 2 diabetes, according to a study published in Diabetics Care.

The study authors concluded that consuming up to 6 grams of cinnamon per day "reduces serum glucose, triglyceride, LDL cholesterol, and total cholesterol in people with type 2 diabetes." and that "the inclusion of cinnamon in the diet of people with type 2 diabetes will reduce risk factors associated with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases."

In addition, a certain cinnamon extract can reduce fasting blood sugar levels in patients, researchers reported in the European Journal of Clinical Investigation.

Alzheimer's disease - Tel Aviv University researchers discovered that cinnamon may help prevent Alzheimer's disease. According to Prof. Michael Ovadia, of the Department of Zoology at Tel Aviv University, an extract found in cinnamon bark, called CEppt, contains properties that can inhibit the development of the disease.

HIV - a study of Indian medicinal plants revealed that cinnamon may potentially be effective against HIV4. According to the study authors, "the most effective extracts against HIV-1 and HIV-2 are respectively Cinnamomum cassia (bark) and Cardiospermum helicacabum (shoot + fruit)."

Multiple Sclerosis - cinnamon may help stop the destructive process of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a neurological scientist at Rush University Medical Center. Cinnamon could help eliminate the need to take some expensive and unpleasant drugs.

Lower the negative effects of high fat meals - Penn State researchers revealed that diets rich in cinnamon can help reduce the body's negative responses to eating high-fat meals.

[Jhanananda]

Funny, I have used ginger for many years as a daily hot drink, and stopped taking it about 5 years ago due to declining income.  So, it looks like my pancreas might have been depending upon both nutritional yeast and ginger.  I had planned on adding it to my morning hot drink.  I will do so from today on. 

The Gingerbread Spice that Helps Treat and Prevent Diabetes
Of course the ginger bread will not help the diabetes, but the spice will.

In a study published in the journal Complementary Therapies in Medicine, researchers conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled study on the effects of ginger supplementation on diabetes and insulin resistance.

In the study, eighty-eight diabetics were given either ginger capsules or placebo capsule and their fasting blood sugar levels and other diabetes indicators were monitored for the eight week study duration. The diabetics who took one gram capsules of ginger, three times a day had significant improvements over those who received the placebo pills. Both fasting blood glucose levels and markers of insulin resistance showed significant improvement in the ginger group which suggests that ginger may be helpful in the treatment of both prediabetes and diabetes conditions. The marker for insulin resistance was especially improved with the ginger supplements suggesting that ginger may help treat the prediabetic condition prior to it becoming full-blown diabetes.

[Jhanananda]

I finally added cinnamon to my diet about a week ago, which might partially explain why my morning blood sugar level has lowered another 20 points in the last week.

[Jhanananda]

Michel sent me a link Ginger: The Enemy Of Type 2 Diabetes.  It seems to provide some useful information on this subject. 

I used to have ginger in my diet daily for decades.  About the same time I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes I had stopped taking ginger.  So, not taking ginger might just be one of the causes of my type 2 diabetes.

I have been adding a table spoon full of ginger powder to my morning drink for more than 3 months now.  I am doing so many things to reduce my diabetes that I cannot tell now what is most effective, other than consuming a low-carb diet that includes eggs.  However, I like ginger, so I am just going to keep taking it.

[Jhanananda]

I merged the topics of ginger and cinnamon and changed the heading of this thread.  We should also not forget that foods that are high in chromium, such as eggs, lead to lowered, or normalized blood sugar for type 2 diabetics.  Here is another link for 6 Foods That May Help Control Blood Sugar.

Coffee and cinnamon have made headlines recently as foods that might be able to cut the risk of diabetes or help to improve blood sugar levels. But don't get the idea that such foods are magic bullets for your diabetic diet, experts warn.

1] Coffee
2] Cinnamon
3] Oatmeal
4] Nonstarchy vegetables, such as: Broccoli, Spinach, and Green Beans
5] Strawberries
6] Salmon and Lean Meats

[Sam Lim]

Those of type II diabetes produces too much insulin and yet it is resistant. Coffee or caffeine makes your body to produce more insulin even though your body can't use it. One way of drinking coffee, is that I add some coconut oil in it. Coconut oil decreases the insulin resistance. Most of the time the blood glucose goes to normal in an hour's time.

There are 2 types of cinnamon. One is from India and contains an ingredient that is not beneficial for your liver. It's cassia and when taken taken for a prolong period of time causes liver toxicity. Another variety is from Sri Lanka and is found to be much less toxic.

Green leafy vegetables have been found to be beneficial. It can increases the sensitivity of insulin.

[Jhanananda]

Thank-you, gandarloda, for posting your interesting comments and recommendations.  I quite like the idea of adding coconut oil to coffee.  I do drink coffee every morning, but it is only a small amount which is combined with unsweetened chocolate, ginger, cinnamon, and peanut butter.  I gave Michael & Karen Hawkins some of this drink when they were last here.

Michael said, "There is some mud at the bottom of this drink."

I make a meal out of the drink, so the "mud" is an important ingredient.

I do not know what cinnamon I use.  It is just what is available at the grocery store.

I think the Nonstarchy green leafy vegetables are just neutral; however, they offer roughage without adding carbs.

I think the Salmon and Lean Meats are just zero carb, but otherwise do not do anything for diabetes.  I am surprised that this list did not include eggs, which are a super-food source for chromium, and chromium is needed by the pancreas to function properly.