Cinnamon in diabetes mellitus

Diabetes mellitus is a serious, chronic medical condition that affects an estimated 20.8 million people in the United States.1 Up to one third of people are undiagnosed. There were also an estimated 1.5 million new cases diagnosed in 2005.1 Complications of diabetes include heart disease and stroke, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, kidney disease, blindness, nervous system disease, and more. In 2002, estimated total costs for diabetes in the United States were $132 billion, of which $92 billion were direct medical costs.1 Because of the large effect of diabetes, there is great interest in new methods of treatment to improve glucose control and therefore lower the risk of complications. Cinnamon is a common spice that has recently gained attention as a possible treatment for diabetes. Historically, cinnamon has been used medicinally for loss of appetite and dyspeptic complaints. Cinnamon has also been examined in humans in a pilot study for use in Helicobacter pylori infection as monotherapy with low doses with negative outcomes2 and as a tea for use as an antioxidant in a small, preliminary study with positive results.3