Diabetes & Cinnamon
Posted
Fri, 04/09/04
The other day a reader sent me a newspaper article about cinnamon and diabetes. Wilbert – who has Type II Diabetes – took great interest in the piece.
Apparently, cinnamon can be good for much more than spicing up a latte. Through a study involving thirty men and thirty women, diabetics researchers have found the reddish-brown bark, which originates in the tropics, improves blood glucose, triglyceride and cholesterol levels in people with Type II Diabetes.
The Press-Telegram article reported doctors felt the study was a good beginning for finding a less expensive way to control the disease, although "there's probably not going to be a huge, expensive study because cinnamon is too cheap. What pharmaceutical company is going to spend money for a study on cinnamon when it can be bought for next to nothing at the store?''
The article went on to say:
In the study, published in the December issue of "Diabetes Care," doctors from Maryland and Pakistan found that after being given 1, 3 or 6 grams of cinnamon daily for forty days, participants' glucose, triglyceride and LDL cholesterol levels dropped by up to 26 to 30 percent.
After reading the information, Wilbert sent me on a quest to find recipes containing a lot of cinnamon, and I found a few interesting web sites. McCormick has an informative page about cinnamon (description, uses, origins and folklore), as well as a selection of recipes. My husband loves sweets (what diabetic doesn't?), and while recipes include treats there are also some healthy alternatives.
I like the sound of the following:
Cinnamon-Spiced Moroccan Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 LBS) or 1-1/2 LBS boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Place chicken in a self-closing plastic bag. Combine one tablespoon flour, cinnamon, Season-All, cumin, and turmeric. Sprinkle over chicken and toss well to coat. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat; sauté the chicken about five minutes per side. Mix remaining one tablespoon flour and broth; add to skillet. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir in dates and almonds; simmer, covered, for seven minutes, or until chicken is done. Serve over couscous or rice.
There are countless other recipes using cinnamon at McCormick. I'm certain Wilbert will be earmarking pages for future reference. He's very interested in testing the reported benefits of the study.
Tags: Poultry;
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