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How Does Cinnamon Bark Help with Blood Sugar? |
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How Does Cinnamon Bark Help with Blood Sugar?
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Darrell Miller | 08/01/11 |
Date:
August 01, 2011 03:45 PM
Author: Darrell Miller
(dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: How Does Cinnamon Bark Help with Blood Sugar?
Cinnamon bark is a flavoring spice obtained from a group of tree species. It has been cultivated since time immemorial, though its place of origin remained a mystery. For this reason, it was one of the most sought after spices in the ancient world. Today it remains highly prized for its distinctive aroma and sweet flavor. In addition to its culinary uses, it has been used as an herbal medication for ages.
True cinnamon is native to Sri Lanka, and thus it is sometimes called Ceylon cinnamon, an old name for the country. Cassia and other species of cinnamon are grown in tropical regions, such as Indonesia, Vietnam, and parts of China, and cultivation has also spread to South America and the West Indies. It has been noted that cinnamon bark displays antibacterial properties and helps regulate blood sugar.
Reduces Blood Sugar Levels
Glucose is a simple sugar that acts as the primary precursor of chemical energy utilized by the cells of the human body. It is obtained from complex carbohydrates, which are broken down in the digestive tract. It is distributed to the cells through the circulatory system. Insulin enters the bloodstream in response to glucose levels in the blood and instructs the cells to take up glucose from the blood.
Herbalists have long believed that cinnamon bark is good for blood sugar. It can be consumed daily to reduce blood sugar. Maintaining a healthy serum glucose levels is important to glucose metabolism, energy production, and disease prevention. High blood sugar levels are incriminated in many disorders, such as insulin resistance, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, and diabetic neuropathy.
Improves Insulin Resistance
Insulin is a hormone produced in the pancreas and released into the bloodstream to regulate sugar levels in the blood. Its function is central to preserving homeostasis in the human body. Hence, any impairment in the production or effectiveness of this hormone significantly affects a number of metabolic processes and progresses to several diseases, such as diabetes mellitus and morbid obesity.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus stems from insulin resistance, which refers to a medical condition describing a decline in the function of this hormone. The result is uncontrolled glucose levels in the blood. Folk medicine practices in South Asia have relied on cinnamon tea to combat the deleterious effects of insulin resistance. Recent studies have reported that it improves insulin resistance and even diabetes.
Prevents Metabolic Syndrome
It is a well established fact that high serum glucose levels are also involved in the development of metabolic syndrome, which is characterized by high blood sugar and high blood lipids. This condition often leads to morbid obesity. Numerous sources have documented that cinnamon bark also lowers high cholesterol, suggesting that it may be useful for the prevention of metabolic syndrome.
Cinnamon bark is available in quill, powder, and pill form. The supplements have been noted to produce the same positive effects on blood sugar.
