Cinnamon spice produces healthier blood

<em>Via <a href="http://nowthis.com/log/2003/11/28.html#000694" title="Now This log: Friday, 28 November 2003">Now This log:</a></em>



<a href="http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994413">New Scientist</a>: &ldquo;Just half a teaspoon of cinnamon a day significantly reduces blood sugar levels in diabetics, a new study has found. The effect, which can be produced even by soaking a cinnamon stick your tea, could also benefit millions of non-diabetics who have blood sugar problem but are unaware of it&hellip;



&ldquo;The active ingredient in cinnamon turned out to be a water-soluble polyphenol compound called MHCP. In test tube experiments, MHCP mimics insulin, activates its receptor, and works synergistically with insulin in cells&hellip;



&ldquo;The cinnamon has additional benefits. In the volunteers, it lowered blood levels of fats and &lsquo;bad&rsquo; cholesterol, which are also partly controlled by insulin. And in test tube experiments it neutralised free radicals, damaging chemicals which are elevated in diabetics.



&ldquo;[The team of Richard Anderson at the US Department of Agriculture&rsquo;s Human Nutrition Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland,] were awarded patents related to MHCP in 2002. But the chemical is easily obtained. He notes that one of his colleagues tried soaking a cinnamon stick in tea. &lsquo;He isn&rsquo;t diabetic &mdash; but it lowered his blood sugar,&rsquo; Anderson says.&rdquo;