Kenneth Wilson was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 1994. He is working to control the disease through diet, exercise and medications. Recently, though, he joined a group of Oklahomans helping researchers learn whether a new weapon might be as close as the nearest spice rack.

It’s a common ingredient found in almost any kitchen, used to spice up beverages and desserts. Now, doctors at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center hope to learn whether cinnamon can help diabetics better control their disease.

“I thought it was a good thing,” said Wilson of the cinnamon study. “It was easier and better than taking medicine.”

Steve Blevins, MD and an internal medicine specialist with OU Physicians, heads up the research project at the General Clinical Research Center on campus. He explained the research is based on a study originally done in Pakistan in which Cinnamon was shown to lower blood sugar, triglycerides and bad cholesterol in diabetics. He hopes to find out if it will do the same in Oklahoma patients.

“We wanted to know if we could replicate that study and see if we could achieve similar results in an American population with an American diet; and in some cases taking an American diabetes medicine,” Blevins said. However, he added they are not evaluating any patients who are currently on insulin.

In the OU study, half of the participants receive capsules containing a half-gram of cinnamon twice daily. The other half receive a placebo – cinnamon-scented capsules containing wheat flour. The capsules look and smell the same..

“They come for four visits,” Blevins continued. “At the first visit, they have a medical examination and they have some blood drawn for baseline labs. Then they’re divided into two groups. Half of them receive placebo and half of them receive cinnamon capsules. They don’t know which group they belong to and I don’t know which group they belong to.”
Patients are re-checked at one, two and three months into the study. They are not given dietary instructions, but a dietician does take a record of what they have eaten over the past few days at each visit. Dr. Blevins said the results ultimately could impact how doctors treat those with diabetes.

“If we find, for example, that patients who are just managed by diets do well and patients who are on medication do not, then that gives us information about what specific groups we need to look at in the future,” he said.

Wilson said he was happy to participate in the research and truly hopes the results will not only help him but others with diabetes as well.

“I think it’s really a good thing because you’re looking for something that will help people, and if it’ll help diabetes, that’s a good plus,” he added with a smile.

OU researchers said they could have preliminary results from the cinnamon and diabetes study within the next few months.