Supplement
Cinnamon is a warm spice from tree bark that has long been used in food, and its compounds are thought to nudge cells to respond better to insulin, the hormone that moves sugar out of the blood. People mostly look at it for type 2 diabetes, and reviews of trials found blood glucose improved, with moderate evidence behind that result. The studies were small, though, so the picture is far from settled, and cinnamon showed no clear difference in a marker of inflammation.
Sources: PMID 38917435; PMID 36505061
- Updated
- How we grade
- 15 studies cited
- Best evidence
- Grade B
- Conditions studied
- 5
- Outcomes
- 27
- Graded outcomes
- 0311
Evidence by condition
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blood glucose Small Improvement | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 4 studies | 1,770 people | ||
Studies that measured blood glucose
| ||||||
| Body Mass Index (BMI) Small Decrease | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 1,075 people | |||
| Total cholesterol | Improves (the measure goes down) | 3 studies | 1,130 people | |||
Studies that measured total cholesterol
| ||||||
| Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) | Improves (the measure goes down) | 2 studies | 1,058 people | |||
Studies that measured low-density lipoprotein (ldl) | ||||||
| Insulin Resistance | Improves (the measure goes down) | 1 study | 450 people | |||
Studies that measured insulin resistance | ||||||
| HbA1c | Improves (the measure goes down) | 1,357 people | ||||
| High-density lipoprotein (HDL) | Improves (the measure goes up) | 1,070 people | ||||
| Insulin | Changes; see studies | 81 people | ||||
| Liver Enzymes | Changes; see studies | 134 people | ||||
| Triglycerides | Improves (the measure goes down) | 1,130 people | ||||
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High-density lipoprotein (HDL) Small Improvement | Improves (the measure goes up) | Small effect | 750 people | |||
| Total cholesterol | Improves (the measure goes down) | 3 studies | 750 people | |||
Studies that measured total cholesterol
| ||||||
| Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) | Improves (the measure goes down) | 2 studies | 750 people | |||
Studies that measured low-density lipoprotein (ldl) | ||||||
| Triglycerides | Improves (the measure goes down) | 750 people | ||||
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
- Blood glucose: improves
- Insulin Resistance: improves
- Insulin: changes; see studies
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blood glucose Small Improvement | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 4 studies | 289 people | ||
Studies that measured blood glucose
| ||||||
| Insulin Resistance | Improves (the measure goes down) | 1 study | 289 people | |||
Studies that measured insulin resistance | ||||||
| Insulin | Changes; see studies | 143 people | ||||
General Cardiovascular Health
- C-Reactive Protein (CRP)
- Total cholesterol: improves
- Low-density lipoprotein (LDL): improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C-Reactive Protein (CRP) No effect | NoneNo effect | 2 studies | 285 people | |||
Studies that measured c-reactive protein (crp)
| ||||||
| Total cholesterol | Improves (the measure goes down) | 3 studies | 6,030 people | |||
Studies that measured total cholesterol
| ||||||
| Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) | Improves (the measure goes down) | 2 studies | 1,070 people | |||
Studies that measured low-density lipoprotein (ldl) | ||||||
| HbA1c | Improves (the measure goes down) | 1,070 people | ||||
| High-density lipoprotein (HDL) | Improves (the measure goes up) | 1,070 people | ||||
| Interleukin 6 | Improves (the measure goes down) | 219 people | ||||
| sICAM-1 | Improves (the measure goes up) | 118 people | ||||
| Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) | Improves (the measure goes up) | 221 people | ||||
| Triglycerides | Improves (the measure goes down) | 6,208 people | ||||
High Blood Pressure
- Blood Pressure: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blood Pressure | Improves (the measure goes down) | 3 studies | 641 people | |||
Studies that measured blood pressure
| ||||||
Key findings
- Blood glucoseImproves (the measure goes down)
- Body Mass Index (BMI)Improves (the measure goes down)
- High-density lipoprotein (HDL)Improves (the measure goes up)
Shop the evidence-backed picks
Third-party tested Cinnamon products, in the forms the graded studies used where we can match them.
- Grade B
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Studies cited
15 studies from PubMed
- Effects of cinnamon supplementation on metabolic biomarkers in individuals with type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
- Efficacy of cinnamon supplementation on glycolipid metabolism in T2DM diabetes: A meta-analysis and systematic review.
- Cinnamon for diabetes mellitus.
- The effect of cinnamon supplementation on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: An updated systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
- The effect of cinnamon supplementation on lipid profiles in patients with type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials.
- The effects of cinnamon supplementation on blood lipid concentrations: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
- Effects of Cinnamon Supplementation on Lipid Profile: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
- Association Between Cinnamon Consumption and Risk of Cardiovascular Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
- The effect of cinnamon consumption on lipid profile, oxidative stress, and inflammation biomarkers in adults: An umbrella meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
- Effect of cinnamon (Cinnamomum Zeylanicum) supplementation on serum C-reactive protein concentrations: A meta-analysis and systematic review
- Impact of Cinnamon Supplementation on cardiometabolic Biomarkers of Inflammation and Oxidative Stress: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
- Anti-hypertensive effects of cinnamon supplementation in adults: A systematic review and dose-response Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
- What is the Impact of Cinnamon Supplementation on Blood Pressure? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
- The effect of cinnamon supplementation on blood pressure in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
- The effect of cinnamon supplementation on glycemic control in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis.