Insulin Issues: Part 2 (Management)

There are many ways to control insulin, and I’ll be covering those in more depth in future blog posts. However, with the increasing concern over the side effects of pharmacological therapeutic agents, I felt it important to shine the spotlight on an often overlooked spice with the potential to assist in the prevention / treatment of insulin resistance -

Cinnamon

                               

A recent systematic review and meta analysis (Akilen, Tsiami, Devendra & Robinson, 2012) has found that use of cinnamon showed a beneficial effect on glycaemic control. This supports previous studies similarly showing that cinnamon has a regulatory role in blood sugar levels and may - 

• improve insulin sensitivity
• slow the absorption of carbohydrates
• delay gastric emptying
• potentially compensate for the temporary insulin resistance caused by sleep deprivation

What Does This Mean For You:

Supplementing with 3 - 6g of cinnamon daily could have you potentially reaping tremendous benefits with regard to your insulin and blood glucose. For bodybuilder’s for example, having an environment where insulin is low can increase growth hormone levels, leading to additional results in the gym. For those trying to maintain their figure or lose bodyfat, increasing insulin resistance will make it easier to lose those last few kg.

Cinnamon Suggestions:

For delicious and easy way to up your daily cinnamon intake try including it on your morning oatmeal, using it to flavour your black coffee instead of sugars, and by sprinkling it on your cottage cheese or natural yoghurt. Cinnamon is a versatile spice and those of you with more creative recipe ideas will soon find ways to include it in a large number of dishes.

References:

Hlebowics, J., Darwiche, G., Bjorgell, O., Almer, L.O. (2007). Effect of cinnamon on postprandial blood glucose, gastric emptying, and satiety in healthy subjects. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 85, 1552-1556.

Solomon, T., Blannin, A. (2009). Changes in glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity following 2 weeks of daily cinnamon ingestion in healthy humans. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 105, 969-976.

Hlebowicz, J., Hlebowicz, A., Lindstedt, S., et al. (2009). Effects of 1 and 3 g cinnamon on gastric emptying, satiety, and postprandial blood glucose, insulin, glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide, glucagon-like peptide 1, and ghrelin concentrations in healthy subjects, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 89, 815-821.

Jitomir, J., Willoughby, D.S. (2009). Cassia Cinnamon for the Attenuation of Glucose Intolerance and Insulin Resistance Resulting from Sleep Loss. Journal of Medicinal Food, 12, 467-472.