An extract of cinnamon reduced risk for diabetes in pre-diabetic volunteers, according to results from a new study. Researchers recruited 24 participants who had slightly raised blood sugar levels after not eating for 8 to 14 hours, a condition known as impaired fasting glucose, which is a risk factor for diabetes.

In the double-blind trial, doctors from the Joseph Fourier University, Grenoble, France, randomly assigned the recruits to take 500 mg of standardized cinnamon extract, in two 250 mg capsules per day, or a placebo, for 12 weeks. At the end of the study, scientists found that, compared to placebo, those who had taken cinnamon had less cell damage (oxidative stress) and higher blood-fluid (plasma) levels of antioxidants, factors which the doctors believe are related to the ability of the body to convert glucose into energy (insulin sensitivity). There were no changes in the placebo group. The researchers stated that this was the first study to test the antioxidant effects of cinnamon in humans.

In a related study in the July, 2006, issue of the European Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers from the University of Hannover, Germany followed 79 type 2 diabetic patients who took 3 grams of standardized cinnamon extract capsules per day, or a placebo, for four months. At the end of the study, fasting plasma glucose levels dropped by an average of 10.3% for those who had taken cinnamon compared to a 3.4% drop in the placebo group. Doctors pointed out that those who had the highest fasting plasma glucose levels at the start of the study saw the largest drop in plasma glucose.

Reference: The 47th Annual American College of Nutrition Conference; October, 2006, Reno, Nevada, U.S.