Research

Hormonal

Cinnamon supplementation (120 mg/d to 6 g/d) significantly reduces fasting plasma glucose, total cholesterol, LDL-C, and triglycerides in patients with type 2 diabetes, but has no significant effect on hemoglobin A1c.

If you have Type 2 Diabetes, cinnamon supplements may help lower your fasting blood sugar and bad cholesterol (LDL) compared to doing nothing, but do not expect it to replace your medication or significantly lower your 3-month average blood sugar (HbA1c). The benefits are modest and inconsistent due to varying product quality. Consult your doctor before starting, especially if you take blood thinners or have liver issues, as high doses of Cassia cinnamon contain coumarin.

ModerateQualifiesMEDIUM confidence
The consumption of cinnamon is associated with a statistically significant decrease in levels of fasting plasma glucose, total cholesterol, LDL-C, and triglyceride levels, and an increase in HDL-C levels; however, no significant effect on hemoglobin A1c was found.
Robert W. Allen et al. · The Annals of Family Medicine · 2013

Why this rating

Meta-analysis of 10 RCTs, but high heterogeneity (I2 66-94%) and potential publication bias limit certainty.

Source

Cinnamon Use in Type 2 Diabetes: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Robert W. Allen et al. · The Annals of Family Medicine · 2013

DOI 10.1370/afm.1517

Meta-analysis · 10 studiesCited 261×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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