Go Ad-Free
logoThe People's Perspective on Medicine

Determining Cinnamon Dose For Reducing Blood Sugar

Q. I tried making a cinnamon extract with hot water to help with blood sugar as described in your column. I ended up with a gooey glob. Please provide exact proportions of spice to water so I don't have to deal with the mess.

A. Research shows that ¼ to ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon before a meal can reduce the rise in blood sugar after eating. We worry, however, that the spice could contain coumarin, a compound that occurs naturally in cinnamon. Regular intake of coumarin could damage the liver.

We suggested putting ¼ or ½ teaspoon cinnamon in a paper coffee filter and pouring a cup of hot water over it. The resulting liquid contains the active ingredient without coumarin.

One reader has a slightly different technique: “I put about 2 teaspoons cinnamon in my coffee filter and then put my coffee grounds on top so I get the benefits of the cinnamon and it cuts any bitterness from the coffee. I turned all my family and friends on to this and my mother-in-law was able to go off her diabetes medicine that she'd been on for years!”

We imagine that two teaspoons of cinnamon is enough for a whole pot of coffee. Anyone who uses cinnamon to lower blood sugar should be under medical supervision and should monitor blood glucose regularly.

Rate this article
star-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-empty
5- 1 rating
About the Author
Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist who has dedicated his career to making drug information understandable to consumers. His best-selling book, The People’s Pharmacy, was published in 1976 and led to a syndicated newspaper column, syndicated public radio show and web site. In 2006, Long Island University awarded him an honorary doctorate as “one of the country's leading drug experts for the consumer.”.
Tired of the ads on our website?

Now you can browse our website completely ad-free for just $5 / month. Stay up to date on breaking health news and support our work without the distraction of advertisements.

Browse our website ad-free
Join over 150,000 Subscribers at The People's Pharmacy

We're empowering you to make wise decisions about your own health, by providing you with essential health information about both medical and alternative treatment options.