Cinnamon

[Iwilldoit]

Hey all,
I introduced myself over in the Intro section there

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=110711

Anybody with diabetes or tendency read anything about cinnamon and it's ability to improve insulin receptor sensitivity? Anybody eating the stuff daily? Or is there an extract available? - I think it's called MHCP.

[rainne]

Hi there, Iwill.

I'm new here myself, and was also wondering if others were taking cinnamon. I brew a tea and drink about 16ish ounces each day.

Here's a site with more info:

http://www.geocities.com/DiabeTips/

The site creator claims to have been diabetic for 11 (?) years and has managed his condition entirely with natural products. There's a recipe for the cinnamon tea, as well as some good tips for how to use it (including how to avoid lip sores).

Welcome!

[Iwilldoit]

rainne hi!

Thanks, that was a very interesting site and link. It's just what I was looking for too - some recipe to put cinnamon in for drinking or eating. Ha! I even made my scrambled eggs with a 1/2 tsp of cinnamon this morning..tasted only a little weird and not bad at all :) But this tea looks simple and convenient, so I'm going to give it a whirl..straw and all :D

[Debi Warne]

I've read where cinnamon is good for diabetics -- there is also an herbal tea sinfully cinnamon -- yummy -- sometimes I make weak coffee and drop a teabag in it when it brews. Love the smell of it too! Thanks for the link.

[rainne]

You're welcome.

I've tried making the tea a few different ways in order to get a strong enough tea without too much solid stuff... I made various kinds of tea bags with the cinnamon/soda mix as well as using a tea ball, but the tea wasn't as stong as it is when you just pour the water right on the powder and let it swirl around together.

Now, I pour directly on the loose powder and stir some while the tea brews, and after it's sat a while (15ish minutes) I pour it through this nifty tea sock thing - basically a cotton knit tube attached to a wire rim that I picked up in the grocery store a few weeks ago.

Then, I put a lid on and just drink right from the jar during the day. By decanting through the tea sock, I don't have to worry about sucking up solids.

[Anemone]

Hello :wave:

I've been drinking the cinnamon tea for about 6 months. The recipe (along with lots of good information) can also be found in a book by Dr. C. Leigh Broadhurst, "Diabetes: Prevention and Cure."
(Hope it's okay to mention her book in this forum)

I have to say I've had excellent results drinking it faithfully, in conjunction with LC'ing and moderate walking. My md, a disbeliever, took me off Glucophage (500 mg 2Xday) as the results I was getting from the tea were just as good, or better, than Glucophage.

The stuff can be nasty though. :eek: Who knew that cinnamon turned into sludge when steeped in water??

[Iwilldoit]

Hey Anemone that is great about you being able to get off the hypoglycemic meds! hehe, is your doc a believer now? ;) I just find this whole thing about the cinnamon being able to boost sensitivity by such a large factor so fascinating.

Now, I had my GTT and it was normal, so I'm not outright T2..yet! I'm convinced though, if I'd gone on the way I was I would have been in short order. I've got the whole insulin resistance cascade over a period of years as far as I can understand:
Obesity--->hypertension---->dyslipidemia---->starting to show some glucose intolerance on some fasting sugars..next stop would be diabetes just as Dr. Atkins and the Eades and many others have written. So, even though I had a normal test (I was low-carbing strictly by the book for at least a few weeks prior to it), I consider that I am glucose impaired and need to increase my insulin sensitivity thus taking further load off my one and only pancreas. And increasing my insulin sensitivity should help reduce insulin secretion, and thereby promote the fat burning.

So, I've been drinking the tea and also or in place of, will put 1/2 tsp cinnamon in something I'm having to eat or drink (have already figured 2 recipes to use..I mean to try one of those famous Mock Danishes soon, with cinnamon :D )

I had a really interesting experience with the first cup I drank. Within about 10 minutes I could feel warmth spreading down my body, right into my toes, and I could feel a curious tingling, particularly in the lateral aspects of my soles and my heels. I've had some decreased feeling/numbness there that I've noticed for a year or so and I really believe that is probably early neuropathy from sub-clinical glucose intolerance. With subsequent cups, I haven't noticed that precise tingling, but do feel warmth, like a thermogenesis hey?, and also noticing that my energy level seems to be improving, I'm not feeling so fatigued or sleepy in mid morning or mid afternoon (although low-carbing all by itself seems to help that as well).

I also decided I would get a glucometer, regardless that I haven't been diagnosed with diabetes, and keep an eye on what my blood sugars do. I don't see a reason to wait till I've got overt diabetes to start tackling and hopefully forestalling the full blown clinical state.

[kjturner]

Here's one for the cinnamon lover in all of us. Next time you stick a nice beef roast in the oven rub it with cinnamon first. VERY interesting and tasty. Don't use anything else but the cinnamon (nothing sweet--cinnamon on it's own isn't sweet). It's also interesting to add a dash to chili.

[Iwilldoit]

Originally posted by kjturner
Here's one for the cinnamon lover in all of us. Next time you stick a nice beef roast in the oven rub it with cinnamon first. VERY interesting and tasty. Don't use anything else but the cinnamon (nothing sweet--cinnamon on it's own isn't sweet). It's also interesting to add a dash to chili.

Yes, I've heard of adding to chili, but not that about rubbing the roast beef - I shall try it! :)

[BarbaraB]

Dear Tea drinkers

I have been adding three cinnamon sticks to steep with my Japanese green tea, but am wondering whether this is sufficient to do the trick.

Would you mind sharing the cinnamon sludge tea recipe?

[Anemone]

Add 3 heaping tbls of ground cinnamon to boiling water to make 1. Mix well and let sit for a few hours in the fridge, and the sludge will settle at the bottom. Dr. Broadhurst suggests adding 1/2 to 1 tsp of baking soda. I'm not sure, if chemically, it (the baking soda) does something - I don't add it.

The tea works best if you drink it with meals.

[BarbaraB]

Sorry, I'm still not clear.
Add Three tbsp of cinnamon to how much boiling water? Do you make one cup or one day's supply at a time?
Barb

[Iwilldoit]

BarbaraB

Put 3 rounded Tablespoons of cinnamon and 1/2-1 tsp of baking soda in a quart container (I used a Pyrex quart measuring cup for this), then pour boiling water over till you fill it to the 32 oz and let sit to cool.
Then you decant it after the sludge settles..you can use a straining sock or cheesecloth to pour it through and put it in a covered container in the fridge to drink from during the day.

A straw to drink it with helps avoid chapping your lips :)

[Anemone]

That'll teach me to proofread before I post.

That should have said--

Add 3 heaping tbls of ground cinnamon to boiling water to make 1 quart. Drink with meals -- makes enough for 1 day.

:exclm: One warning - the effects can be fairly dramatic, so if you're on glucose-lowering meds, I suggest checking with your doctor first as it can make your blood sugar drop too low.

Good luck! :)

[BarbaraB]

Thanks,
Can't wait to try it.
barb

[Sherrielee]

This is so cool! I love cinnamon!

I went to that Yahoo Diabetes Site that Rainne linked for us. The author there seems to say that we have to use a specific kind of cinnamon (health food store...not grocery store). He even tells you what percentage of oil it shouild have. ( Actually, it was a pretty cool site....thanks Rainne)

So, are you guys using regular cinnamon? I was going to make some...got my cheesecloth out and all and I have a Costco size bottle of cinnamon.... If you guys are getting results from just regular cinnamon...please let me know.

This would make your house smell terrific ever day! :)

[Iwilldoit]

Hey Sherrielea

Well, mine is a regular one. I had it for years too! Been sitting in the back of a dark pantry, so I wasn't all that sure it would be too fresh (although it hadn't been opened) and thought about getting a new container from the health food store. I still seem to be feeling something though. Mine is going down fairly quickly, so when I replace it I think I'll buy some from health food store :)

[rainne]

You know, I sort of noticed that site's author told what kind of cinnamon he used, but I didn't see the oil recommendation. I'll have to learn to read more carefully.

I've just been using the regular ol' stuff, too. You know the kind they package in cello bags in the regular grocery store -- available so much cheaper than the fancy bottles and tins.

Maybe someday I'll get around to seeing what different sorts of cinnamon are available locally, but for now, I'll just use what I've got and can find easily.

[c6h6o3]

I got a pound of 3.5-4% oil content cinnamon from Frontier Foods.

http://www.frontiercoop.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=041200&Product_Code=315

There is no comparison between supermarket cinnamon and this stuff. It looks different, both dry and in the tea, forms much less sludge and is exponentially more potent.

I need to use it a few more days before I can tell you exactly how much more effective it is in lowering blood sugar, but I can say now that this high octane stuff is dramatically more powerful to smell and taste.

Will keep you posted.

Jim

[Iwilldoit]

Hey Jim,
Look forward to hearing what your experience is with this!