Q. I have been using cinnamon to help control my blood sugar for the last 4 years. Using 1/4 teaspoon in boiling water to make a cinnamon tea lowers my blood sugar readings from about 185 to 135 in one hour.
Yellow mustard works even more effectively. I take about 1/2 teaspoon per meal, depending on the amount of carbohydrates in the food. Both cinnamon and yellow mustard can be overdone and make blood sugar go too low, so you have to be cautious.
A. There is research supporting the idea that cinnamon can lower blood sugar. Until your email, we had not heard that yellow mustard could do much the same thing.
A little digging revealed several animal studies showing that curcumin, the active ingredient in the yellow spice turmeric, lowers blood glucose. Since turmeric gives mustard its yellow color, perhaps this explains the benefit you have discovered. Diabetics must monitor blood sugar closely and check with a physician before trying such dietary strategies.
