EditorDiabetes mellitus type 2 is an alarming threat worldwide that deteriorates human health, leading to high rates of morbidity and mortality. India is deemed the world’s capital of diabetes because it has the most significant number of diabetic patients, followed by China and the United States. American Association of Diabetes (ADA), 2020, stated that “the incidence of diabetes is less in rural populations than that of the urban population in South Asian countries. Rapid urbanization, modernized life, and sedentary lifestyle in genetically predisposed individuals are considered key factors for causing an early onset of diabetes among the young population”.
Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease that has a devastating impact on human health; prevention seems to be the primary concern at this moment; as we all know, prevention is better than cure. A number of contemporary diabetic drugs are available to manage this disease effectively, but prologoned usage of these drugs results in adverse effects; thus, traditional medicines are gaining worldwide recognition at present. Bioactive compounds present in plants are rich in antidiabetic phyto-constituents consuming functional foods as isolated compounds, in the form of a tablet or capsule, gives identical health benefits to those observed with the food from which they come.
This study compared the effectiveness of Cinnamomum zeylanicum infusion and Cinnamomum zeylanicum capsules on blood plasma levels of type 2 diabetes mellitus subjects. The study was carried out in five diabetes specialist hospitals in Chennai, India, from January 2015 – December 2017. The study protocol was reviewed and approved by the Independent Institutional Ethics Committee of Women’s Christian College, Chennai (Ethical clearance No. WCC/HSC/11EC-2014: 02).
For this study, 60 subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus were selected, and one gram (1g) of Cinnamomum zeylanicum capsule and 75 mL of infusion were supplemented to them, said T. Sivapriya, Department of Clinical Nutrition, SDNB Vaishnav College, Chrompet, Chennai – 44, India and Sheila John, Department of Home Science, Women’s Christian College, Nungambakkam, Chennai – 6, India. The efficacy of these supplements was investigated on serum blood glucose levels after a period of 45 days. The blood parameters assessed include fasting blood glucose, postprandial blood glucose, serum insulin, and serum fructosamine.
“Results from our study demonstrated that there was no significant difference between the capsule ingested group and infusion ingested group indicating that consumption of both forms of cinnamon had the same effect,” said T. Sivapriya and Sheila John.
“The essence of our findings exhibited that cinnamon powder that is scientifically known as Cinnamomum zeylanicum when consumed regularly at effective levels has a good impact on blood glucose level of type 2 diabetes subjects,” said T. Sivapriya and Sheila John.
The paper was published in the American Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
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