Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a disease that accompanies a person throughout his life. It is not a sentence, but it requires adjusting the daily routine and diet. Medicines that improve the well-being of diabetics have a lot of names. Complementary traditional medicine methods work as adjuvant therapy. One of these is the intake of cinnamon for type 2 diabetes.
The content of the article
How is the product useful?
Studies conducted by the American Diabetes Association showed that the systematic intake of cinnamon for type 2 diabetes decreased the average hypoglycemic index by 25% among the entire list of subjects. The volunteers received 1-6 g of powder for 40 days. The tests showed not only a decrease in sugar, triglycerides and bad cholesterol in the blood. Herbalists who use the product for medicinal purposes note the positive effect of cinnamon substances on the state of the gastrointestinal tract and the cardiovascular system. Plant enzymes strengthen the immune system, making it more resistant to infectious diseases, which is especially important for diabetics.
Cinnamon, which is sold in regular stores, has no medicinal properties. The purchased product is used as a spice, not as a medicine. Healing is a variety called Ceylon Cinnamon.
Composition
Not all of the cinnamon can be taken for type 2 diabetes. A product collected from a thin layer of plant bark has therapeutic properties. The hot spice is tested with iodine. A drop of a substance on a medicinal powder gives a weak reaction. Analogs of other varieties of cinnamon are colored blue. Plant composition:
- Aldehydes;
- Polyphenols;
- Eugenol;
- Essential oils;
- Phenol.
Phenol makes up 18% of the total volume of the spice. It has a beneficial effect on the body of a diabetic, supporting the work of internal organs.
How is cinnamon treated?
There are no strict restrictions on the intake of spices. It is used in Eastern and European cuisines, giving even a simple dish a specific spicy touch. A pinch of cinnamon is appropriate for cooking meat, fish, pastries, sweet desserts and salads. You can use the powder alone or with a whole seasoning mix. There are some helpful tips for using cinnamon in your diet:
- The therapeutic dose of the product is 4 g (2 teaspoons);
- Prefer whole cinnamon sticks to grind before cooking. You will preserve not only the medicinal, but also the taste properties of the product;
- Do not heat the spice when cooking, frying or braising. Sprinkle spice only on the prepared dish to preserve its properties;
- Cinnamon tones up the human body, so it can only be consumed in the morning;
- The treatment course lasts 6 weeks, 4-6 g of cinnamon per day. You can repeat it with a break of a week.
To understand how to take cinnamon for type 2 diabetes, you need to individually optimize your own diet. The first 5 days, it is enough to use a quarter of a teaspoon, after which a break of 2 days is required. Then the course is repeated again according to the familiar pattern. The standard dose is half a teaspoon, because increasing the amount of the product will not affect the therapeutic effect.
Cinnamon and Drink Recipes
Traditional medicine is an effective aid in the fight against diabetes. Preparation of drinking medicines takes less time, the finished product is easier to use, and has a good taste. Lovers of sweet snacks can take advantage of alternative desserts. Popular recipes:
- Cinnamon honey drink. Pour in a cup of boiling water, dissolve 2 teaspoons of fresh honey and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon in the water. The drink should be infused for 30 minutes at room temperature. After – place the workpiece in the refrigerator until morning. Half a cup is drunk at 1 half of the day, the second half – at 2. The course of treatment lasts 5 days.
- Infusion with apples. Use only firm green varieties (Semerenko, Granny Smith, Papirovka, Antonovka, etc.). Cut the fruit into wedges, simmer in water in a skillet, or use the dried version. Sprinkle cinnamon powder over the wedges. Dessert is ready to eat.
- You can consume cinnamon for type 2 diabetes with kefir. Pour a glass of fermented milk product, add a teaspoon of cinnamon, stir the mixture thoroughly, and let it brew for 20 minutes at room temperature. You can enhance the therapeutic effect of the drink with a pinch of ground black pepper or grated ginger root. The drink is taken in 2 glasses a day before breakfast and for an afternoon snack.
- An orange drink in the heat. Boil 2 cinnamon sticks in 2 liters of water, cool, and add sliced orange slices (other citrus fruits are possible) to this broth. A cocktail is drunk during the day.
- With herbs. You will need 50 g of beans and basil, 25 g of blueberry leaves, root and dandelion flowers. Add 2 tablespoons of raw materials to 1 glass of water, after which the mixture is boiled for half an hour, infused for 15 minutes. The finished liquid is supplemented with ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon, mixed thoroughly. The broth is drunk 3 times a day before meals.
The simultaneous use of cinnamon with medications is not prohibited, but it requires an adjustment of nutrition and dosages by an endocrinologist. You need to follow a low-carbohydrate diet, engage in moderate physical activity, observe the regime of the day, night, and take care of the calmness of the psychological state.
Contraindications
Endocrinologists do not recommend using cinnamon:
- With individual intolerance to the components of the product and allergies. You can check this by consuming 1 g of powder per day, monitoring the state of health after each intake;
- Pregnant women. The tonic properties of the spice lead to premature labor and early labor. Nursing mothers are also not recommended to use cinnamon due to the threat of allergic reactions of the baby;
- With hepatic pathologies. Coumarin in cinnamon increases the load on the liver, provokes headaches;
- People suffering from ulcers and gastritis. Patients require a spice-free diet;
- With chronic constipation;
- Hypertensive patients, since cinnamon can increase blood pressure indicators ;
- Patients with neoplasms in the digestive system.
Diabetes cases are unique in 100% of cases. Before experimenting with nutrition, it is necessary to consult with a treating endocrinologist so as not to inhibit the state of concomitant diseases of the diabetic’s body.
Conclusion
Cinnamon should not be used as the main, sole treatment for type 2 diabetes. It is effective only as an auxiliary product of traditional traditional medicine, which has beneficial properties for maintaining the immune system and the pancreas. A competent combination of a spice with pharmacy medicines will show an effective result without negatively affecting the performance of other internal organs of a person.