Even Short-Term Use of Cinnamon can Reduce Blood Pressure
Cinnamon is one of those spices that has a wealth of benefits. Like ginger or oregano, for example, cinnamon can be used in a variety of ways for a variety of ailments and as a preventative measure. Three of the latest studies regarding the health benefits of cinnamon indicate it can reduce blood pressure fairly significantly even after only a short time of use.
Cinnamon Effectively Reduces Blood Pressure
Researchers from the University of Toronto sought to find clinical trials using cinnamon for the treatment of blood pressure. One of the studies involved 59 participants with type-2 diabetes. Each was given either 1,200 mg of cinnamon per day or a placebo. After only 12 weeks, the cinnamon group saw their systolic blood pressure drop an average of 3.4 points. In another, they found study participants with type 2 diabetes to experience a drop of over 3 points in their systolic pressure and 5 points in their diastolic.
The researchers used three studies in total and compiled the results. They found the short-term use of cinnamon results in an average 5 mmHg drop in systolic pressure and 2.6 mmHg in diastolic blood pressure. In other words, they are confirming that cinnamon for diabetes is one of the most simple, effective solutions.
While these studies focused on people with type 2 diabetes, there is evidence that cinnamon can help those who aren’t affected by the blood sugar disease. Researchers with Ball State University found that 30 healthy adults who began having cinnamon added to their breakfast saw a reduction in their blood sugar levels immediately following the meal.
This latest research is important to diabetics, however, because high blood pressure is common among those with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes. This is largely because high blood sugar levels can damage the arteries, leading to scarring, atherosclerosis and eventually to high blood pressure.
While the researchers aren’t positive how the cinnamon directly reduces blood pressure, they believe it may have an immediate impact on hemoglobin A1C levels (directly related to blood glucose).
As blood sugar levels are regulated by the cinnamon, it’s possible that the arterial damage is reduced.
The CDC estimates 67 million Americans have high blood pressure—that’s about one-third. And many of these people gladly accept the medications thrown at them by Big Pharma and their physicians—the biggest drug dealers in the country. Instead, blood pressure can be entirely controlled by diet and lifestyle changes, with cinnamon being a good place to start.