Several compounds isolated from cinnamon may one day become the key natural ingredients in a new generation of products aimed at lowering blood sugar levels, according to USDA researchers.

In test tube studies, the compounds, called polyphenolic polymers, increased sugar metabolism in rodent fat cells 20-fold. The study was conducted by the USDA's Richard A. Anderson, Ph.D., and his colleagues at the University of California in Santa Barbara.

In a related finding published in another journal (Diabetes Care), members of Anderson's research team reported that less than a half-teaspoon of cinnamon daily for 40 days significantly lowered blood sugar levels among 60 volunteers with Type 2 diabetes.

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Michael Bernstein
m_bernstein@acs.org
American Chemical Society
http://www.acs.org