Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. Typically, the risk of having this disease increases as people age. Although there is still no cure for the disease, some treatments and remedies are available to control it. How about cinnamon and honey, do they also help for diabetics?
What actually is type-2 diabetes?
Insulin plays a key role to help sugar (glucose) in the bloodstream to go to the cells of the body. If something goes awry with this hormone, there will be more glucose in the blood. As a result, you are easier to have high blood sugar.
There is also a condition called type-1 diabetes. It is a condition of when the pancreas cannot produce any insulin. Typically, people with type-1 are insulin dependent – or in other words, they need to take insulin injection regularly in order to keep their blood sugar under control.
The exact cause of type-1 is not fully known. But experts say it may be associated with autoimmune condition (when the body immune system attacks on its own healthy cells or tissues).
The elevated blood sugar (higher than normal) in diabetics can be chronic, and this is the starting point where other problems come. Prolonged, poorly controlled blood sugar can lead to some health risks.
The following complications are quite common in diabetics, especially for those who are unable to control their blood sugar as well.
- Hypertension (high blood pressure).
- Heart problems.
- Increased risk of stroke.
- Damage to the nerves.
- Eye problems (like diabetic retinopathy).
- Sexual dysfunction.
- Kidney disease.
- Pregnancy complications.
- Foot problems, such as a foot ulcer.
- Slow healing of cuts and wounds. Etc!
So if you’re diabetic, your commitment in controlling your blood sugar is very important to prevent the complications of the disease.
Does cinnamon help for type-2 diabetes?
Cinnamon is a spice derived from the dried inner bark of a tree native to Sri Lanka. For many years, it has been used as a sure-fire remedy to help treat a number of different conditions.
For instance, it’s quite familiar in traditional Chinese medicine since 1700 B.C. We can also find it in other traditional Asian cultures.
Some headlines may have you believing that it is effective way to help manage blood sugar in people with diabetes. But does it really work? What is the evidence?
According to four studies conducted by UAB the Schools of Health Professionals, two studies found that cinnamon does help lower blood sugar, while other studies didn’t find this link. This suggests that the answer is not fully known.
Based on the same studies, below are other findings:
- Cooking it for foods could provide health advantages, though there is still no definitive evidence.
- To get the benefit, you should take it at least half a teaspoon per day.
- But don’t take it too much – take it in moderation! Coumarin in cinnamon should be concerned as well. There is particular level when it could be strong enough to be poisonous to your liver.
Researchers claim that these studies are well designed. However, there are also some drawbacks. For instance, the studies used cinnamon formulation with poor description (small sample size). More studies are needed!
Although there are some evidences to support the effectiveness of cinnamon to help manage diabetes, but this issue is not fully understood yet. In general, cinnamon can be included in diet for diabetes – as long as you use it in cooking and foods, there should be nothing to worry.
How about cinnamon supplements? They may be safe for most people, but again be careful to coumarin! Very high level of coumarin in the body could harm your liver. If necessary, talk first with your doctor before taking the supplement (particularly true if you’re also taking certain medication)!
How about honey?
We can find honey in many remedies for number of different conditions. It also has long medicinal history in many countries.
Nowadays, honey takes attentions for its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial contents. Even many holistic and herbal practitioners consider it one of recommended remedies. Unfortunately, many claims for healthfulness from honey are not proven yet.
And if you are a diabetic, you may also wonder whether honey is nice idea to replace sugar in order to help control your blood sugar. Does consuming honey really help for diabetics? The following is the truth behind the claim of honey’s health advantage for diabetes.
