Reverse prediabetes, diabetes is coming! Study: Eating 6 grams of cinnamon a day can effectively control blood sugar and blood lipids

Diabetes is not something that can be cured overnight; it has a prelude. Be careful of prediabetes! If you can control your blood sugar in the pre-diabetes stage, you can stay away from diabetes. According to foreign research, adding a little cinnamon to food can not only add flavor, but also be low in calories and not cause obesity. In addition, cinnamon has an amazing function. It can effectively control the blood sugar of patients with prediabetes to prevent them from developing type 2 diabetes. As for patients who already have type 2 diabetes, it also has the effect of lowering blood lipids, thus preventing cardiovascular disease!

Prediabetes is the prelude to type 2 diabetes! More than 80% of people are unaware that they are already at risk

Prediabetes refers to a stage where blood sugar levels exceed normal values ​​but have not yet reached the diagnostic criteria for diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), prediabetes is defined as a patient's fasting blood glucose level between 100 and 125 mg/dL or a glycated hemoglobin level between 5.7 and 6.4% after an overnight fast. In addition, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), prediabetes is common and can last for years without obvious symptoms, and more than 84% of patients are unaware that they are at risk.

The most worrying complications of type 2 diabetes! Serious risk of death

A fasting blood sugar level of 126 mg/dL or higher indicates type 2 diabetes. The most worrying complications of type 2 diabetes are kidney failure, blindness, heart disease, stroke, and damage to large and small blood vessels in the human body. The number of deaths due to these complications ranked fifth among the top 10 causes of death according to statistics from the Ministry of Health and Welfare in 2018. Type 2 diabetes can also cause sexual dysfunction in both men and women, as well as nerve damage in the legs, feet and toes, which can lead to amputation in severe cases.

In order to prevent prediabetes patients from developing type 2 diabetes and causing health hazards, foreign scholars have recently discovered that moderate consumption of an appropriate amount of cinnamon every day can help prevent or delay prediabetes.

Cinnamon may help control blood sugar and possibly reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

US study: Moderate consumption of cinnamon may reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in prediabetes

According to CNN, a study conducted by Dr. Giulio Romeo and his team from the Department of Endocrinology at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston on 51 patients with prediabetes found that cinnamon may be able to control blood sugar and may slow the progression to type 2 diabetes. The study was later published in the prestigious Journal of the Endocrine Society (JES).

The study was conducted in a double-blind manner. People who met the criteria for prediabetes were randomly divided into two groups. Each group took 500 mg of cinnamon or a placebo three times a day. After 12 weeks, the fasting blood sugar of the two groups of subjects was measured. It was found that for individuals with prediabetes, the fasting blood sugar of the subjects who took cinnamon remained stable, while the fasting blood sugar of the subjects who took the placebo tended to increase.

The 12-week study showed that adding cinnamon to the diet had the effect of keeping blood sugar levels stable in participants with prediabetes, said Dr. Giulio Romeo, MD. It is not ruled out that longer and larger studies will be conducted in the future to confirm whether cinnamon does have a positive effect on reducing the risk of prediabetes patients developing type 2 diabetes.

Considering that the results of the study may be affected by the fact that patients with prediabetes are taking blood sugar-lowering drugs, Dr. Giulio Romeo and a team of researchers in South Korea decided to conduct another study specifically for patients with prediabetes who have not yet received drug treatment.

The 12-week study showed that adding cinnamon to the diet had the effect of keeping blood sugar levels stable in participants with prediabetes, said Dr. Giulio Romeo, MD.

After eliminating the interference of drugs, it was found that the group taking cinnamon had lower blood sugar levels and returned to normal values ​​faster.

Study: Moderate intake of cinnamon can also help lower blood lipids in patients with type 2 diabetes

In addition to blood sugar, the control of blood lipids is also very important for health. If blood lipids are not controlled well, fat will accumulate on the inner walls of blood vessels, causing cardiovascular diseases, making you feel like you are carrying a time bomb! In addition to the benefit of controlling blood sugar for type 2 diabetes, another study also found that it also has the effect of lowering blood lipids in patients with type 2 diabetes.

This study randomly divided 60 subjects, including 30 males and 30 females, into six groups. Cinnamon was taken for 40 days to observe the average fasting blood sugar, low-density lipoprotein and total cholesterol. Groups 1, 2 and 3 took 1, 3 or 6 grams of cinnamon per day, respectively, and groups 4, 5 and 6 were given placebo capsules. After 40 days, the group taking cinnamon had lower fasting blood sugar, triglycerides, and LDL cholesterol by 18–29%, 23–30%, and 7–27%, respectively. Total cholesterol also decreased by 12–26%, whereas no significant change was seen in the placebo group, and changes in HDL cholesterol were also unsignificant.

US FDA recommends that daily intake of cinnamon should not exceed 6 grams

Although foreign studies have shown that cinnamon is effective in controlling blood sugar and blood lipids, it is not advisable to consume excessive amounts of this food. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends consuming 6 grams of cinnamon per day, which is about 1 tablespoon. But be careful not to consume too much in food or capsules.

Although foreign studies have found that a moderate amount of cinnamon can help control blood sugar and blood lipids, prevention of diabetes cannot rely solely on eating cinnamon. It is necessary to implement the key points of sugar control in daily life to prevent early onset of diabetes or even deterioration into type 2 diabetes. According to the National Health Administration of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, there are 5 reminders for high-risk groups of diabetes:

Prevention of diabetes cannot rely solely on eating cinnamon. It is necessary to implement the key points of sugar control in daily life to prevent early onset of prediabetes or even deterioration into type 2 diabetes.

【6 tips to prevent type 2 diabetes】:

1. Check blood sugar, blood pressure and blood lipids regularly:

The National Health Administration of the Ministry of Health and Welfare pointed out that blood sugar levels should be lower than 100mg/dL to be normal; blood pressure should be lower than 120/80 mmHg; the normal blood lipid diagnostic standards have the following indicators: total cholesterol should be less than 200, triglycerides should be less than 150, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) should be less than 100, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) should be greater than 50 for women and greater than 40 for men.

2. Maintain regular exercise:

Exercise at least 5 times a week, about 30 minutes each time (60-90 minutes is best), and persist in doing so.

3. Implement a balanced and healthy diet:

The daily diet should adopt the principles of low oil, low salt, low sugar and high fiber, maintain a balanced, moderate and regular diet, and try to choose seafood and chicken.

4. Maintain ideal body weight:

Obesity is the main factor for developing type 2 diabetes. When weight is reduced, the cell's response to insulin will improve. Therefore, maintaining an ideal weight is the most important way to stay away from diabetes. The normal BMI value is 18.5-23.9, and the ideal BMI value is 22 (BMI value = kg/m2).

5. Quit smoking and drinking to relieve stress:

People often relieve stress by smoking, but the nicotine in cigarettes inhibits insulin secretion, causing blood sugar to rise; (linked stress) and under long-term stress, the body will also secrete stress hormones, which hinder the normal functioning of insulin, leading to unstable blood sugar and increasing the risk of diabetes. Therefore, we should seek healthier and more correct ways to relieve stress, such as exercise, counseling, etc.

6. Relieve stress:

Under long-term stress, the body will also secrete stress hormones, which hinder the normal functioning of insulin, leading to unstable blood sugar and increasing the risk of diabetes. Therefore, we should seek healthier and more correct ways to relieve stress, such as exercise, psychological counseling, etc.