Cinnamon and blood sugar or fat levels in people with type 2 diabetes
What it found
In people with type 2 diabetes, cinnamon lowered fasting blood sugar by 12.9 to 52.2 mg/dL over 6 to 17 weeks.
Effects on blood fats were less clear.
What they found
Studies in people
Blood sugar in people
In people with type 2 diabetes, fasting blood sugar dropped by 12.9 to 52.2 mg/dL. A longer-term blood sugar measure fell by 0.27 to 0.83%.
Insulin in people
A few studies found that insulin levels in the blood went down after taking cinnamon.
Blood fats in people
The effect of cinnamon on blood fats was much more debated than its effect on blood sugar.
Body fat and antioxidants
Some reports claimed cinnamon reduced body fat and raised antioxidants in the blood. But those studies used methods the authors considered unreliable.
Other findings
Types of cinnamon studied
Most of the research focused on two species: C. cassia (also called C. aromaticum) and C. zeylanicum (also called C. verum).
What the authors conclude
- They suggest that about 1 to 6 g of these cinnamon types, mostly as powder, may work alongside drug treatment for type 2 diabetes and other blood sugar problems.
- They say more carefully controlled trials in people are still needed.
How it was done
Some people take large amounts of cinnamon as a supplement because it is thought to lower blood sugar and blood fats. The authors wanted to look at the evidence behind these claims.
They searched several research databases for human studies published between 2003 and 2018. They looked for trials using terms related to cinnamon and type 2 diabetes. The included studies lasted from 6 to 17 weeks.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- These studies followed people for only 6 to 17 weeks, so they cannot show what happens over many years.
- Because this work gathered past studies together, it cannot prove on its own that cinnamon caused the changes in blood sugar.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Federal University of Uberlandia (UFU), Brazil; Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO), Brazil
The paper
- Title
- To what extent does cinnamon administration improve the glycemic and lipid profiles?
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Santos HO, da Silva GAR (2018). To what extent does cinnamon administration improve the glycemic and lipid profiles?. Clinical nutrition ESPEN. doi:10.1016/j.clnesp.2018.07.011PubMed 30144878DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error