肉桂幫糖尿病患降粉降低血糖、膽固醇與三酸甘油酯

Diabetes Care, 2003,   26(12):3215-3218 

Cinnamon Improves Glucose and Lipids of People With Type 2 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE—The objective of this study was to determine whether cinnamon improves blood glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol levels in people with type 2 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—A total of 60 people with type 2 diabetes, 30 men and 30 women aged 52.2 ± 6.32 years, were divided randomly into six groups. Groups 1, 2, and 3 consumed 1, 3, or 6 g of cinnamon daily, respectively, and groups 4, 5, and 6 were given placebo capsules corresponding to the number of capsules consumed for the three levels of cinnamon. The cinnamon was consumed for 40 days followed by a 20-day washout period.

RESULTS—After 40 days, all three levels of cinnamon reduced the mean fasting serum glucose (18–29%), triglyceride (23–30%), LDL cholesterol (7–27%), and total cholesterol (12–26%) levels; no significant changes were noted in the placebo groups. Changes in HDL cholesterol were not significant.

CONCLUSIONS—The results of this study demonstrate that intake of 1, 3, or 6 g of cinnamon per day reduces serum glucose, triglyceride, LDL cholesterol, and total cholesterol in people with type 2 diabetes and suggest that the inclusion of cinnamon in the diet of people with type 2 diabetes will reduce risk factors associated with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. 

　　美國人類營養研究中心的一項研究發現，每天食用一到六克的肉桂萃取物，可減低第二型糖尿病患對心臟血管疾病的危險因子，病患食用肉桂四十天後發現，空腹血糖降低達百分之十八，三酸甘油酯下降了百分之二十五，壞膽固醇則降低百分之七。   

每天只要食用約半茶匙的肉桂粉，肉桂降低膽固醇的神奇效果就有如降低膽固醇的處方藥一樣有效。所以每天飲食中，灑些肉桂粉或是用肉桂棒煮茶喝，都是不錯的辦法。研究人員表示，目前還沒有發現食用肉桂的負面效果；副作用的出現，可能要吃非常過量的肉桂才有以致之。


王肯堂的《證治準繩》對消渴的三消提出解釋：「渴而多飲為上消、消穀善飢為中消、渴而便數有膏為下消。」就是單純性劇渴以肺熱為主(上消)，渴加上肚子很容易餓為胃中有火(中消)，渴而且合併蛋白尿為糖尿病腎病變(下消)。
古時沒有降血糖藥，因此只要血糖一升高，首先產生的就是口渴的問題。血液中糖份無法進入細胞被利用，血液中滲透壓增高，必然口渴。因此古人云，消渴以「陰虛為本、燥熱為標」，都是以體內火熱為表現，在初期一定要給予養陰生津的藥物，如天花粉、葛根、麥門冬、生地、黃芩、知母等，讓身體達到陰陽平衡，細胞自然恢恢復對胰島素的敏感性，血糖自然會正常。消渴有些一開始就會產生多食易飢、大便乾燥的胃熱盛症狀，中醫稱為「消穀善肌」，此時要瀉胃火，如石膏、之母之類的；等到糖尿病腎病變出現後，出現小便白濁，就只能補腎養陰了，如用熟地、山茱萸、枸杞子等，這時糖尿病就比較嚴重了；但是再惡化下去，到達腰膝痠軟、神疲乏力、面色暗黑時，中醫稱為陰損及陽、腎氣衰微，這時就需要用熟地、附子、肉桂等滋陰溫陽。(from: http://hospital.kingnet.com.tw/essay/essay.html?category=%A4%A4%C2%E5%A4%D1%A6a&pid=29001)