Re: Cinnamon/blood sugar study

Viðrar Vel Til Loftárása <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message news:<[EMAIL 
PROTECTED]>...
 90% of the substance
> known as 'cinnamon' is, in fact, cassus bark, not the bark of the
> 'cinnamon' tree and while somewhat related, it is not the same thing. 

This (part)introduction to one of the recent studies [1]cinnamon, will
hopefully clear your confusuon.

galya

"The cinnamon, also known by Cassia, Sweet Wood, and Gui Zhi, is
traditionally harvested in Asian countries. It is, perhaps, one of the
oldest herbal medicines, having been mentioned in Chinese texts as
long as 4000 years ago [1 and 2]. The large number of applications for
cinnamon indicates the widespread appreciation that folk herbalists
around the world have had for cinnamon as a medicine [2], including
the treatment of diarrhea, arthritis, etc. [1]. Furthermore, it has
been reported that the cinnamon extract has vasodilative,
anti-thrombotic, antispastic, anti-ulcerous, and anti-allergic action
[2]. In the last decade, in vitro studies revealed that the cinnamon
extract mimics the effect of insulin, which potentiates insulin action
in isolated adipocytes [3, 4, 5 and 6]. It is believed that the
methylhydroxychalcone polymer (MHCP, extracted from cinnamon) is
responsible for the above effect. MHCP may be useful in the treatment
of insulin resistance via increasing glucose utilization in cells [6].
Moreover, the cinnamon extract has also been shown to improve the
insulin receptor function [5 and 6]. However, to our knowledge, up
till now the effect of the cinnamon extract on insulin action has not
been demonstrated in in vivo studies."

1. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2003 Dec;62(3):139-48.
Cinnamon extract (traditional herb) potentiates in vivo
insulin-regulated glucose utilization via enhancing insulin signaling
in rats.

Qin B, Nagasaki M, Ren M, Bajotto G, Oshida Y, Sato Y.

Department of Sports Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya
University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, 464-8601, Nagoya, Japan
PMID: 14625128