Diabetes is defined as a chronic disease that affects how the body converts food into energy, which impacts blood sugar (glucose) levels.
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases in the United States explains that to control glucose levels, the body has insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, which ensures that this substance enters the cells to be used as energy.
Sometimes the body doesn’t produce or make enough insulin, or if it does, it doesn’t use it properly. When this happens, the sugar can stay in the blood and not reach the cells, and that’s where health problems can start.
When there is excess glucose in the blood, the person may start having other problems. According to the aforementioned source, heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, eye problems, dental disease, nerve damage, and foot problems can develop, which can lead to the need to amputate some of these. members.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), although there is no cure for diabetes, losing weight, eating healthy foods and staying active helps control blood sugar. In addition, it is important to receive treatment, learn about the disease and attend specialist care appointments for it.
As part of a healthy diet and regular exercise, which are essential to keep blood sugar levels within the established limits, you can also resort to some home remedies that can complement or contribute to the treatment.
One of them is the intake of cinnamon, an aromatic spice to which medicinal properties are attributed, characterized by its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antifungal and anticancer action.
The Tua Saúde wellness and health portal indicates that thanks to these properties, “Regular consumption of this spice can help protect the body from cardiovascular disease, control type 2 diabetes, and maintain body weight.”
According to the analyzes carried out, this food, which can be added to different preparations, contains a variety of phenolic compounds and aldehydes beneficial to health, cinnamaldehyde being the most important and responsible for giving it the characteristic flavor of this spice.
One of the reasons cinnamon can help patients with diabetes is that, As analyzed in some research, it helps improve functioning and increase levels of insulin, the hormone responsible for sugar regulation.
“The mechanism by which this occurs is because cinnamon has the ability to intervene in certain components of the body, causing sugar present in the blood to enter cells more easily, thereby lowering blood sugar. In addition, it could also inhibit certain digestive enzymes, slowing down the breakdown of carbohydrates in the digestive tract,” points out Tua Saúde.
In addition, its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties have some impact on the functioning of the pancreas, which is the organ responsible for the production of insulin.
In addition, this spice is known to promote weight loss, an aspect that is also essential for controlling blood sugar. This is because it has thermogenic effects and increases energy expenditure.
Although it is a natural product, it is important to clarify that it is not a treatment to cure diabetes, but can be used as a complement to what is prescribed by the specialist, with whom its use should be consulted to check contraindications.