Results from a randomized trial in individuals with Type 2 diabetes show that cinnamon dietary supplementation significantly reduces glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) compared with usual care.

“Cinnamon is purported to be a natural insulin sensitizer,” says study author Paul Crawford (Mike O’Callaghan Federal Hospital, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA).

However, the small number of previous trials studying the effect of cinnamon in humans with Type 2 diabetes have produced conflicting results.

In this study, Crawford recruited 109 Type 2 diabetes patients, aged 60.2 years on average and with an HbA1c above 7.0%, from three clinics serving the 96th Medical Group, Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.

He randomly assigned the participants to continue with their usual diabetes care regime (control group; n=54) or to take 1 g/day cinnamon capsules in addition to their usual care (n=55) for a period of 90 days. A total of 20 participants dropped out before study completion, with 89 individuals completing the study.

HbA1c was measured at baseline and after 90 days. Crawford found that cinnamon supplementation reduced HbA1c by a significant 0.83% from baseline, compared with a non-significant 0.37% reduction in the control group.

“According to the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study, a drop of HbA1c from 7.9% to 7.0% lowers the risk of macrovascular disease 16%, retinopathy [between 17 and 21%], and nephropathy [between 24 and 33%],” comments Crawford.

“Thus, a 0.83% drop in HbA1c levels in patients might be expected to yield similar reductions in morbidity,” he suggests.

Such supplementation “is likely to be safe and may be offered to patients with HbA1c above 7.0% as a potential means to lower HbA1c,” he concludes.

The results are published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine.

MedWire (www.medwire-news.md) is an independent clinical news service provided by Current Medicine Group, a part of Springer Science+Business Media. © Current Medicine Group Ltd; 2009

Free full text

There are a number of benefits that you can get by following the glycemic index, but it can be pretty confusing unless you are already familiar with how it works. In order to get the best results, you should integrate it into your diet. So, first of all, what is a glycemic index?

All of the food you eat falls under one of three major macronutrient types: carbohydrate, protein, and fat. Most foods have some of each, but usually are predominantly one category. As an example, potato chips are mostly carbohydrate, but they still have a little protein and fat. Any carbohydrate that you consume has a glycemic index, which is the way we measure how quickly a food is digested and released as glucose in your bloodstream.

While this is primarily useful for people with type 2 diabetes, it is also quite helpful for people who want to go longer without getting hungry between meals, and for anyone who wants to be healthier overall. There are many variables that go into calculating a food’s GI (glycemic index), such as whether the food is grown, processed, or cooked; how much of the food a person eats; a person’s genetics; and what you combine the food with when you eat it.

There is a fundamental difference between the GI and the glycemic load. With the index, it refers to how 50 grams of a certain food affects blood sugar levels in a person. The glycemic load takes the index into account, but goes one step further, by saying that while 50 grams of one food might cause a certain blood sugar reaction, if you take in 25 grams of a food with a higher GI you might have a comparable glycemic load. It also accounts for the combination of foods eaten, instead of each food individually.

As a general guideline, a glycemic load of 20 or more is high, a glycemic load of 11 to 19 is medium and 10 or less is low. Consider a watermelon as an example. It has a high GI at 72. In 120 grams of watermelon, it contains 6 grams of carbohydrates per serving. So, take the glycemic index of 72, divide it by 100, and multiply by the 6 grams of carbohydrate per serving, which leaves you with 4.32 (which you can round down to 4). The point of this calculation is to show that even though the carbohydrate in watermelon makes it show up high on the glycemic index, the glycemic load in watermelon is actually quite low because there actually isn’t a lot of carbohydrate compared to the total calories.

It’s important to understand the glycemic load and the glycemic index, regardless of your current health. Even if you are in good health, there is no reason not to consider your glycemic load, because too much sugar in your blood too quickly will result in hunger, and if you eat sugary foods too often, you’ll find yourself on the road to diabetes. Remember, the glycemic index helps you choose foods that have the potential to cause insulin resistance, while the glycemic load helps you to figure out what portions of each food will give you the best results.

Diabetics are at an increased risk for foot complications. In fact, these complications account for about 20% of all diabetic related hospital admissions in the U.S.

Approximately 25% of diabetics will develop foot problems. And about 3% of diabetics will undergo a leg or foot amputation. 50% of diabetics who have one leg amputated will the other amputated within 5 years.

Your feet are worth protecting. They are meant to last a lifetime. So a great deal of care should be taken when selecting footwear.

Many shoes designed for diabetics are not the most stylish. But, which would you prefer:

Being buried with your feet or

Being buried without your feet.

Tips For Shoes

1. Always buy shoes in the late afternoon or evening. If your feet swell, this will be when they are their largest.

2. Many feet are uneven in size. Example: the left may be a half size larger than the right. So, always try shoes on your largest foot first.

3. Be sure check for adequate support when trying on shoes.

4. Be sure that the new shoes are both wide and long enough.

5. Look for one-piece insoles. Two pieces can cause additional friction to the sole of the foot.

6. Break in shoes very gradually. You should wear them only 1-2 hours a day for the first 2 weeks.

7. Never wear uncomfortable or tight shoes.

8. If you feel that you need special shoes or inserts talk to your doctor first.

9. Never buy shoes that don’t breathe (plastic). The best are made of cotton or leather which are breathable.

10. Never wear shoes that you just slip your feet into. They allow your foot to slip forward and may cause pressure on the toes. The best have laces or Velcro.

11. Never go barefoot. Always wear shoes!

12. Before you put on your shoes, feel around inside with your fingers. You may find a sharp object.

13. Never wear sandals or open-toed shoes.

14. Try to avoid high-heeled shoes or pointy-toe shoes.