Does Cinnamon Lower Cholesterol?

Cinnamon helps lower cholesterol levels for people with type 2 diabetes, one study says. But before you start sprinkling cinnamon on your toast every morning, you should know that doctors and nutrition experts disagree on whether the spice can benefit everyone.

History

• In 2003, researchers at the NWFP University in Peshawar, Pakistan, found that people with type 2 diabetes who ate a small amount of cinnamon daily had lower cholesterol levels.

Effects

• In the study, people who ate 1, 3 or 6 grams of cinnamon for 40 days lowered their overall cholesterol levels by 12 percent to 26 percent. Their triglyceride and LDL, or "bad," cholesterol levels also improved.

Significance

• The study suggests that daily intake of cinnamon can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease for someone with type 2 diabetes. The researchers also speculate that cinnamon might benefit the general population.

Expert Insight

• Subsequent studies have not proven that cinnamon is a good high-cholesterol treatment, according to Dr. Thomas Behrenbeck, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist. Harvard nutrition professor Dr. Frank Sacks says cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins are the most effective treatment.

Considerations

• Sharron Coplin, a food and nutrition lecturer at Ohio State University, says researchers have not tested cinnamon on the general population and they have not looked at the effectiveness of supermarket-quality cinnamon.

Alternatives

• Behrenbeck suggests several alternative ways that people can lower their cholesterol. Those methods include exercising regularly, limiting dietary fats, eating whole grains and taking prescribed medication if necessary.