Cinnamon and blood sugar

Researchers are studying the spice cinnamon to see if it helps control blood sugar, as folk treatments suggest.

A review of 11 trials of cinnamon supplements in people with type 2 diabetes found that people using the supplements — while taking prescribed diabetes medications — showed some small improvement in blood sugar levels.

However, researchers stress the findings are not conclusive since other factors, such as exercise, cinnamon quality, and adherence to medications were often not accounted for.

The researchers concluded that the spice deserved more research but stressed that there is no evidence that cinnamon alone can control type 2 diabetes.

The review was published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.