Cinnamon, Spices, Herbs and Similar

On the various diabetes groups I read there is a perennial question as to the benefits of cinnamon for reducing blood glucose peaks. Many of the stories about cinnamon can be traced back to a limited study in Pakistan a few years ago and some US follow-ups. I won't argue about their validity but I've seen no credible in-depth studies on the subject. However it keeps recurring almost weekly on places like the ADA forum and was discussed last month on the ADA web-site and last April on David Mendosa's excellent web-site. [see the post-script at the foot, added 18 February 2009

The minimal, if any, effect that cinnamon had on me was trivial. Reducing my carb input by just a few grams had a much greater effect. I still use cinnamon as a spice frequently and infuse it in my morning coffee - but for taste, not BGs. It did affect my post-breakfast BG peak indirectly, because I no longer add milk to my morning coffee as a consequence.

I use many other herbs and spices in my menu. Some for taste, some for medicinal purposes, some for both. Some have proven benefits, such as turmeric for some cancers, some are anecdotal. My attitude is that if it is not harmful I have nothing to lose and a possible gain by adding such things to my menu. However, I do NOT buy capsules or pills of cinnamon, or turmeric, or garlic or anything. I eat them by including the herbs, spices and specific foods regularly in my normal way of eating. Sometimes by spicing up an existing recipe, such as a sprinkle of turmeric and black pepper (the two are complementary) in a morning omelette; sometimes by adding new spicy dishes to my menu, such as Asian stir-fries etc.

So I have tiny amounts of many things almost every day.

As I wrote this I started reviewing the herbs and spices in my menu over the last few days. Just normal days, nothing unusual. Turmeric, cinnamon, nutmeg, grated black pepper, cumin, paprika, thyme, mint, basil, rosemary, hot chili, fresh garlic, grated ginger and the broad combination spices of garam masala and commercial curry powder. That's in addition to ensuring my menu also included items like avocado, nuts, psyllium husks, leafy greens, onions, capsicum (peppers) etc. And, of course, a modicum of red wine. Most of my herbs are grown fresh at home. When the crop is over-abundant I dry it, chop it and store it for future use out of season.

As to which of those, if any, is helping my diabetes or CLL, who knows. But I'll follow my docs' advice and keep doing what I'm doing.

Because, even if they don't improve my health, they definitely help a slightly restricted menu taste good.

Post-script, 18th February 2009. I just became aware of this paper published in Diabetes Care in January 2008:

Effect of Cinnamon on Glucose Control and Lipid Parameters.

"CONCLUSIONS— In this meta-analysis of five randomized placebo controlled trials, patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes receiving cinnamon did not demonstrate statistically or clinically significant changes in A1C, FBG, or lipid parameters in comparison with subjects receiving placebo."

PPS Added 26th January 2014. This extract from an editorial is from the Annals of Internal Medicine published 17th December 2013 

Other reviews and guidelines that have appraised the role of vitamin and mineral supplements in primary or secondary prevention of chronic disease have consistently found null results or possible harms (5–6). Evidence involving tens of thousands of people randomly assigned in many clinical trials shows that β-carotene, vitamin E, and possibly high doses of vitamin A supplements increase mortality (6–7) and that other antioxidants (6), folic acid and B vitamins (8), and multivitamin supplements (1, 5) have no clear benefit.

Despite sobering evidence of no benefit or possible harm, use of multivitamin supplements increased among U.S. adults from 30% between 1988 to 1994 to 39% between 2003 to 2006, while overall use of dietary supplements increased from 42% to 53% (9). Longitudinal and secular trends show a steady increase in multivitamin supplement use and a decline in use of some individual supplements, such as β-carotene and vitamin E. The decline in use of β-carotene and vitamin E supplements followed reports of adverse outcomes in lung cancer and all-cause mortality, respectively. In contrast, sales of multivitamins and other supplements have not been affected by major studies with null results, and the U.S. supplement industry continues to grow, reaching $28 billion in annual sales in 2010. Similar trends have been observed in the United Kingdom and in other European countries.

The large body of accumulated evidence has important public health and clinical implications. Evidence is sufficient to advise against routine supplementation, and we should translate null and negative findings into action. The message is simple: Most supplements do not prevent chronic disease or death, their use is not justified, and they should be avoided. This message is especially true for the general population with no clear evidence of micronutrient deficiencies, who represent most supplement users in the United States and in other countries (9).

Cheers, Alan, T2, Australia.

Everything in Moderation - Except Laughter

Good Advice, Bad Advice - Nicky's Experience

I have a friend in the UK named Nicky. We met in cyberspace on alt.support.diabetes and then I was privileged to meet her in person in London on my travels. Nicky is one of those who is not just trying her best to manage her diabetes but who has become active in trying to improve the situation in her own system.

Recently on a.s.d she was asked about her experiences with doctors and other patients over there. This was her reply. To see it in context it was here on alt.support.diabetes.

My doctor is adamant that I shouldn't test, and that I should base my diet on whole grains.

OTOH, I have an A1c of 5.5% (down from, I think, about 10.3% at dx), have come off all meds
(except thyroxine), and have reversed the neuropathy the doc missed at dx. The doc is quite surprised now that I don't see him very often - most of his other patients have progressed to needing insulin by this stage; the last time I needed a doc for me was last year's flu jab.

When I go to Diabetes UK meetings, I am the only one eating a low carb diet. I'm frequently the only one with a bg meter handy. Last weekend was a regional meeting where I hadn't seen some folks for a year. They looked a heck of a lot more than a year older, and two of them had got that neuropathy walk - leaning forward to see where their feet were, over their stomachs, stiff-legged from the pain. They had biscuits with their tea at breaks, and rice and a crumble pudding with their meal.

I'm 46, and if I follow my Dad's family pattern, I might make it to 100. Damned if I want to be blind or in a wheelchair for any part of that. Jennifer's advice, and the low-spike diet resulting from that, has given me a new lease of life, and improved my health enormously. I have no doubt that had I followed the doc's guidance, or that of the dietician who recommended oatmeal and bananas, I would be one of the folks who had seriously deteriorated. No, thanks.

I spend a fair bit of my time campaigning against Diabetes UK's dietary advice. However, they are handy people to know if you're fighting a battle for test strips.

Nicky.
T2 dx 05/04 + underactive thyroid
D&E, 100ug thyroxine
Last A1c 5.6% BMI 25

Read that sig again. It's amazing what can be achieved with the RIGHT diet and exercise. Incidentally, when we meet up again I will be agreeing with everything she says; one of her preferred exercises is Karate:-)

Cheers, Alan

Everything in Moderation - Except Laughter

Self-Testing and Type 2 Management

A paper denigrating the value of patient self monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) was published in the British Medical Journal a few days ago. Once again I am mystified that highly qualified medical researchers can spend tens of thousands of dollars (or, in this case, Pounds) to come up with a worthless result.

BMJ, doi:10.1136/bmj.39247.447431.BE (published 25 June 2007)
research-article

Impact of self monitoring of blood glucose in the management of patients with non-insulin treated diabetes: open parallel group randomised trial

Read the full paper here: http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/bmj.39247.447431.BEv1

Their conclusions:

Conclusions
Evidence is not convincing of an effect of self monitoring blood glucose, with or without instruction in incorporating findings into self care, in improving glycaemic control compared with usual care in reasonably well controlled non-insulin treated patients with type 2 diabetes.

How did they arrive at that conclusion? In my opinion they failed to understand how to use SMBG systematically and had no concept at all of the process of using test results as feedback to change input for better results.

Rather than say it all twice, I'll repeat below my post to the BMJ "rapid response" section after the article. Hopefully, they will publish it; if not, at least it will appear here:

***
Response to BMJ

I am not a doctor. I am a type 2 diabetic patient who has a keen interest in patient self-management of diabetes, and who has spent far too much time over the past four years discussing this with other diabetics around the world on the net and personally. My only relevant publication is a patient's view online at http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com/

This is not the first poorly performed study of blood glucose testing techniques published in the past twelve months, including one in my own country. All have suffered from the same basic flaw. SMBG is pointless – as is any testing of any sort – if the results are not used to either confirm that things are as expected or to assess what changes need to be made to improve the results next time.

However, if SMBG is used systematically to assess the success of past treatments and to then make changes in those treatments, in a continuously iterative method, it can be spectacularly successful. I accept that BMJ readers will consider anything I say as anecdotal; however I have seen it happen hundreds of times over the past five years.

This study was a waste of time and effort because the patients in the "most intensive" group were given no training in evaluating their test results with a view to improvement. In fact the basic premises of their training doomed them to failure: "They were also given training and support in timing, interpreting, and using the results of their blood glucose test to enhance motivation and to maintain adherence to diet, physical activity, and drug regimens." That was the worst thing they could have done - to maintain adherence to their present regimens, particularly diet. In fact they maintained it so well that they hardly changed their poor HbA1c levels at all.

As an aside, for the authors to consider A1c's in the mid 7's as "reasonably well controlled" is appalling to me. I would refer the authors to the EPIC Norfolk study which found that "HbA1c was continuously related to subsequent all cause, cardiovascular, and ischaemic heart disease mortality through the whole population distribution, with lowest rates in those with HbA1c concentrations below 5%. An increase of 1% in HbA1c was associated with a 28% (P<0.002) increase in risk of death " BMJ 2001;322:15 [Full] ( 6 January )

Now, back to SMBG. The single most important thing that the patient can do at home is modify diet. They should not change medications without doctor’s advice, there are realistic limits to the exercise they can add to their routine – but they can make dramatic changes in blood glucose levels with a diet modified by feed-back from post-prandial peak blood glucose levels.

I, and many of my friends around the world, have been following a systematic testing regimen that works for some years now. It is intensive in the initial stages, then becomes much more relaxed once individuals have created their own personal databases of foods and activities, so we know what foods and activities will cause blood glucose spikes (at the peak, not necessarily at two hours), and which won’t. It’s as simple as that.

I challenge the authors of this paper – or any other researchers for that matter, to repeat the study but train the "most intensive" group as follows:

Eat, then test after eating at your peak spike time and if blood glucose levels are too high then review what you ate and change the menu next time. Then do that again, and again, and again until what you eat doesn’t spike you. You will get some surprises, particularly at breakfast time. The so-called "heart-healthy" breakfast is NOT for most type 2's. Similarly, you will find variations through the day - the same thing will have different effects at breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper

As you gradually improve your blood glucose levels, review the resulting way of eating to ensure adequate nutrition, fibre etc are included and adjust accordingly. Test, review, adjust until you have a flexible and interesting menu that is nutritious but does not "spike" your post-prandial blood glucose; a menu you can follow for the rest of your life.

Studies such as the one in question are meaningless if the SMBG is not performed systematically and with a defined purpose.
***

Cheers, Alan