Cinnamon is not only one of the most promising toppings for your breakfast bun, it is also one of the most promising treatments for diabetes. Long used in food in the modern diet, cinnamon has long been used traditionally as a medicinal herb. This new study adds to the evidence for its diabetes benefits.

This 12 week double-blind, placebo-controlled study gave 127 people either a placebo or 500mg of cinnamon extract twice a day: once before breakfast and once before dinner. The kind of cinnamon used was Cinnamomum zeylanicum. The people who were taking the cinnamon had significantly greater reductions in fasting blood sugar levels, suggesting “a notable effect on short-term glucose control.” The benefit was especially great in people who actually had type 2 diabetes.

The cinnamon extract also lowered LDL-cholesterol, but the advantage over the placebo was not significant. Cinnamon did its antidiabetic work safely with adverse events being similar to the placebo group. This new study joins a growing body of research on the benefits of cinnamon for diabetes.

A recent meta-analysis of 24 controlled studies found that supplementing cinnamon significantly reduces fasting blood sugar and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Though the current study did not find reductions in HbA1c, the large meta-analysis did. HbA1c is the most important marker of long term blood sugar and diabetes control.

PLoS One. 2025 Jan 24;20(1):e0317904.