What comes to mind when you think of cinnamon? Probably sugary buns or apple pie �?certainly not the kind of pleasures that people with diabetes can enjoy. But if we get rid of the buns and the pie, and keep the cinnamon, we may really have something noteworthy for people with diabetes. A recent study carried out jointly by NWFP Agricultural University in Pakistan and the U. S. Human Nutrition Research Center showed that this alluring brown powder from the inner bark of a type of evergreen tree grown in Asia can help reduce blood levels of glucose, as well as triglycerides and cholesterol. Who could ask for anything more?

The effect on glucose levels is particularly important because type 2 diabetes is reaching epidemic proportions in North America. It is being diagnosed at younger ages than ever, mostly due to the growing number of cases of obesity. In this type of diabetes, cells become less sensitive to insulin, the hormone secreted by the pancreas to stimulate glucose absorption into cells from the blood to be used for energy. If this process is impaired, extra glucose in the blood can increase the risk of heart disease, as well as kidney and eye problems.

Over the years a number of foods and beverages have been examined for possible blood- glucose-lowering effects. Green tea, but not black tea, has such an effect, as does coffee. The catch with coffee is that you need to drink at least six cups a day, which of course is not advisable for other health reasons. Researchers are, however, focusing on the active ingredient, which is not caffeine, but chlorogenic acid. Eventually, we may see this in a pill form. Red wine, probably due to its resveratrol content, also lowers blood glucose at a dose of about three glasses a day, which may be excessive. Other plant-derived materials have been singled out for their ability to reduce blood glucose levels, but the supporting evidence has been sketchy. Fenugreek, bitter melon, Korean ginseng, Gymnema, onions, flaxseed and cinnamon have been repeatedly mentioned, but not conclusively researched. Finally, at least for cinnamon, we have some scientific evidence. And it was all because of some apple pie!

Richard Anderson and colleagues at the Human Nutrition Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland were studying the effects of a low chromium diet on blood glucose levels. Chromium is necessary for proper insulin function but our modern fast-food diet is low in chromium, and furthermore, foods high in sugar stimulate elimination of chromium from the body. Some research has actually shown that people with type 2 diabetes who have a low chromium diet can achieve better glucose control with chromium supplements.

In any case, Anderson was interested in studying the effects of a low-chromium, high-sugar diet in type 2 diabetes. And what food was deemed to be ideal for this study? Apple pie! It has virtually no chromium, and lots of sugar. It should have sent blood glucose soaring. But it didn't! The only reasonable explanation for this seemed to be the presence of cinnamon in the pie. After all, there had been all sorts of folkloric evidence for the anti-diabetic properties of cinnamon. Now it was time to see if folklore could be converted to science.

Sixty people with type 2 diabetes, average age of 52, were enlisted and divided into groups that would consume one gram, three grams or six grams of powdered cinnamon in capsules after their daily meals. A control group was given capsules with wheat flour, an inert substance. The experiment lasted for 40 days.

After 40 days, blood glucose was significantly lower in the cinnamon group, in some cases by as much as 30%. Interestingly, the people who consumed only one gram did as well as those on the higher doses. Total cholesterol, LDL (the notorious "bad cholesterol") and triglycerides were also significantly reduced. The researchers noted that blood glucose levels stayed low even 20 days after the cinnamon ingestion was stopped, suggesting that it need not be consumed every day for a blood glucose lowering effect to be observed. Best of all, there seems to be no downside to eating a gram of cinnamon a day, which is roughly half a teaspoon. It contributes virtually no calories and even tastes good. And of course it is not only people with diabetes who can avail themselves of the cinnamon advantage. Anyone with high cholesterol can try out a daily gram of cinnamon. It isn't hard to incorporate that much of this spice into your diet. You can sprinkle some into your coffee, mix some into your cereal or even make a tea by boiling a stick of cinnamon in water. It may add more than spice to your life!