Do Cinnamon Supplements Have a Role in Glycemic Control in Type 2 Diabetes? A Narrative Review

Abstract

Cinnamon (Cinnamomum sp) has been suggested to help patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) achieve better glycemic control, although conclusions from meta-analyses are mixed. To evaluate whether the use of cinnamon dietary supplements by adults with T2DM had clinically meaningful effects on glycemic control, as measured by changes in fasting plasma glucose (FPG) or hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), a comprehensive PubMed literature search was performed. Eleven randomized controlled trials were identified that met our inclusion criteria that enrolled 694 adults with T2DM receiving hypoglycemic medications or not. In 10 of the studies, participants continued to take their hypoglycemic medications during the cinnamon intervention period. Studies ranged from 4 to 16 weeks in duration; seven studies were double-blind. Cinnamon doses ranged from 120 to 6,000 mg/day. The species of cinnamon used varied: seven used Cinnamomum cassia or Cinnamomum aromaticum, one used Cinnamomum zeylanicum, and three did not disclose the species. Because of the heterogeneity of the studies, a meta-analysis was not conducted. All 11 of the studies reported some reductions in FPG during the cinnamon intervention, and of the studies measuring HbA1c very modest decreases were also apparent with cinnamon, whereas changes in the placebo groups were minimal. However, only four studies achieved the American Diabetes Association treatment goals (FPG <7.2 mmol/L [130 mg/dL] and/or HbAlc <7.0). We conclude that cinnamon supplements added to standard hypoglycemic medications and other lifestyle therapies had modest effects on FPG and HbA1c. Until larger and more rigorous studies are available, registered dietitian nutritionists and other health care professionals should recommend that patients continue to follow existing recommendations of authoritative bodies for diet, lifestyle changes, and hypoglycemic drugs.

Keywords: Cinnamon; Fasting plasma glucose; Hemoglobin A1c; Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Copyright © 2016 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Figures

Figure 1

Mean changes in FPG baseline to post cinnamon supplementation for 11 studies (15 arms) and placebo. Solid line is cinnamon treatment, dashed line is placebo control, and dotted line represents FPG treatment goal of ≤130 mg/dL/7.2 mmol/L. CINN = cinnamon, PLCB = placebo. Conversion factor to mmol/L multiply by .05551.

Figure 2

Mean changes in HbA1c baseline to post cinnamon supplementation for all 9 studies (11 arms) and placebo arms. Solid line is cinnamon treatment, dashed line is placebo control, and dotted line represents HbA1c treatment goal of ≤7.0%. CINN = cinnamon; PLCB = placebo.