Cinnamon & Ginger: Proven and Delicious Help for Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is now the fourth leading cause of death in the developed world. Several herbs and nutrients have been proven to benefit type 2 diabetics, including cinnamon and ginger. A new study has again confirmed lots of ways these two herbs help. . . .

In addition to testing for blood sugar levels, this study also tested markers of inflammation and free radical damage because these problems are also prevalent in diabetes.

The study was randomized and single blinded. It included 204 overweight type 2 diabetics and lasted for eight weeks. Everyone in the study drank three cups of black tea a day plus the addition of 3g of a study herb. Two of the herbs added to the black tea were cinnamon and ginger.

The ginger group experienced significant improvement in markers of inflammation and free radical damage. The cinnamon group experienced significant improvement in inflammation, triglycerides and blood glucose.

These exciting results are consistent with previous research on these two herbs. A meta-analysis of ten controlled studies of cinnamon and diabetes confirmed that cinnamon significantly reduces fasting plasma glucose and HbA1c (Ann Fam Med 213;11:452-9). HbA1c is the most important marker of long term blood sugar and diabetes control.

Ginger has been shown in one study to improve both fasting blood glucose and insulin resistance (Comp Ther Res 2014;22:9-16). A second recent study found that ginger improves glucose levels, insulin levels, insulin resistance, HbA1c and markers of inflammation and free radical damage (J Compl Integr Med 2015;12:165-70).

This body of research suggests that cinnamon and ginger are both scientifically supported, safe, inexpensive, delicious ways to improve type 2 diabetes.

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