The Effect of Cinnamon on Glucose Control and Lipid Parameters

Objective –To perform a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of cinnamon to better characterize its impact on glucose and plasma lipids. Research Design & Methods – A systematic literature search through July 2007 was conducted to identify randomized, placebo-controlled trials of cinnamon that reported data on hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), fasting blood glucose (FBG) or lipid parameters. The mean change in each study endpoint from baseline was treated as a continuous variable and the weighted mean difference was calculated as the difference between the mean value in the treatment and control groups. A random-effects model was used. Results – Five prospective, randomized controlled trials (n=282) were identified. Upon meta-analysis, the use of cinnamon did not significantly alter HbA1c, FBG, or lipid parameters. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses did not significantly change the results. Conclusion Cinnamon does not appear to improve HbA1c, FBG or lipid parameters in patients with type 1 or 2 DM.