Dr. Betty Kamen, Ph.D.

Table Talk Health Hints

Nutrition Hints

from Betty Kamen, PhD, and Dr. Michael Rosenbaum, MD
Copyright © 2000-2007 by Nutrition Encounter, all rights reserved
May be redistributed only with full attribution
and a link to www.bettykamen.com
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Hint 2435: Adding some cinnamon to your dessert may temper the blood sugar surge that follows a sweet treat. Adding a little more than a teaspoon of cinnamon to a bowl of rice pudding, for example, lowers the post-meal blood sugar rise.

One reason for the effect seems to be that cinnamon slows the rate at which food passes from the stomach to the intestines.

In one small study, it was shown that when people with type 2 diabetes added cinnamon to their diets, their blood sugar and cholesterol levels dipped. There don't appear to be benefits, however, for those with type 1 diabetes.

Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, June 2007.