Fitness And Health

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Health Benefits of Cinnamon – Cinnamon and Diabetes – Cinnamon and Weight Loss

December 15th, 2009

: Image via Wikipedia

This post explores the health benefits of cinnamon, which is significant, on the bodies blood sugar. How your health, whether you are diabetic or not, can be improved by adding common cinnamon to your diet. 26 million people in the US are full diabetics. Up to 50 million are in pre-diabetic conditions. Millions more have sugar intolerance and their bodies are in an acid PH imbalance. Adding cinnamon capsules (which you can get at the local pharmacy) will help you level things out.

Cinnamon can help you re balance your bodies chemistry. Cinnamon has been called the most significant discovery to control blood sugar. Taking cinnamon for 40 days can yield significant benefit. Cinnamon and weight loss have been shown to go together.

Perhaps most interesting is that the health benefits of cinnamon and the affect on blood sugar has been known for thousands of years. Adding cinnamon to help regulate sugar even in normal people can help you lose weight. When the sugar level is elevated even for short periods it is a trigger for extra insulin: this is the bodies signal to store fat and so cinnamon and weight loss can go hand-in-hand.

The Effect Of Cinnamon On Blood Sugar (Glucose) Levels And Its Ability To Help Control Diabetes

Author: John Bradstreet

What is the Cause of Diabetes?

In type 2 diabetes, high blood sugar levels occur when glucose is prevented, to a significant degree, from entering cells of the body, notably liver, muscle, and fat cells. This is caused by a “short circuit” in the insulin signaling pathway, a cascade of highly specific chemical reactions that allow insulin to fulfill its role as the facilitator of glucose transport through the cell walls. Insulin is produced by the pancreas in response to elevated blood glucose levels; once it enters the blood, it signals the body’s cells to take up the excess glucose until normal levels are restored.

When insulin molecules bind to the insulin receptors on cell walls, tiny molecular “gates” open up and allow glucose molecules to pass through. If this system is impaired, the gates don’t respond adequately to the insulin signal, thus preventing the glucose from entering the cell. This condition, which is a common consequence of obesity, is called insulin resistance, and it’s both a harbinger and a symptom of diabetes. With insulin resistance, glucose levels in the blood remain high, a very dangerous condition in the long run. The pancreas tries to compensate by making more insulin, but this works only for so long. Eventually, the pancreas becomes overburdened and starts making less insulin. That’s when things go from bad to worse.

Cinnamon and diabetes

One of the most exciting recent discoveries in health is cinnamon and its effects on blood sugar (glucose) levels. The positive effect of cinnamon on blood sugar were discovered by accident at the USDA testing center in Maryland where scientists were testing the effects of various foods on blood sugar (glucose) levels. They were surprised when good ol’ apple pie actually helped lower glucose levels.

Although cinnamon bark and cinnamon flowers are used medicinally, Chinese cinnamon, or Cinnamomum aromaticum, is the form used for diabetes.

Specifically, hydroxychalcone may work on insulin receptors to increase insulin sensitivity and help promote glucose uptake into cells and tissues and promote glycogen (the storage form of glucose) synthesis.

Several Studies Confirm the Positive Effects of Cinnamon

In a December 2003 Diabetes Care study, cinnamon was found to improve glucose and lipids in people with diabetes. Sixty patients with type 2 who were taking a sulfonylurea (glyburide) were given one of three doses of cinnamon (1, 3 or 6 grams per day) or a placebo for 40 days.

Fasting blood glucose declined by 18 to 29 percent after 40 days in all three cinnamon treated groups. Specifically, 1 gram per day decreased glucose from 209 to 157 mg/dl, 3 grams per day decreased glucose from 205 to 169 mg/dl and 6 grams per day decreased glucose from 234 to 166 mg/dl.

Patients then went without any cinnamon for 20 additional days, but their fasting glucose was still lower than at baseline for the previously cinnamon-treated groups, indicating that cinnamon had a sustained benefit. Furthermore, total cholesterol decreased by 12 to 26 percent, triglycerides decreased by 23 to 30 percent, and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol also declined from 7 to 27 percent.

Another study was done by the University of Hannover in Hannover, Germany and published in a recent issue of the European Journal of Clinical Investigation. This was the first study evaluating the effect of a water-soluble cinnamon extract on glycemic control and the lipid profile of Western patients with type 2 diabetes. The results further add to a growing body of clinical evidence demonstrating supplementation with a water-soluble cinnamon extract may play an important role in managing blood sugar levels and improving insulin function.

Cinnamon is not Advised

Benefitting from this discovery may not be as simple as increasing cinnamon intake in your diet. Cinnamon contains volatile oils and when taken consistently in high doses may be toxic. This is why high quality supplements are recommended.

In conclusion, cinnamon reduced serum glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Because cinnamon would not contribute to caloric intake, those who have type 2 diabetes or those who have elevated glucose, triglyceride, LDL-cholesterol, or total cholesterol levels may benefit from the regular inclusion of cinnamon in their daily diet. In addition, cinnamon may be beneficial for the remainder of the population to prevent and control elevated glucose and blood lipid levels.

About the Author:

World Vitamins Online provides it’s readers with pertinent information on vitamins and health supplements, how they work, and why. We feel that a well informed consumer will be one that benefits from this knowledge and will be able to make better decisions about their health and the health of their families. To learn more on this subject and for additional links on this topic at bottom of page please visit us at http://worldvitaminsonline.com/cinnamoncinnulinpf60capules.aspx Or subscribe to our blog for our latest post at http://worldvitaminsonline.blogspot.com/

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – The Effect Of Cinnamon On Blood Sugar (Glucose) Levels And Its Ability To Help Control Diabetes

Consequences of Diabetes: Complications and Costs (oup.com)
Mediterranean Diet May Let Diabetics Dial Back Drugs (abcnews.go.com)
Eight Ways to Keep Your Blood Sugar Lower (losethattyre.co.uk)
Double Diabetes – Placing Your Kids at Even More Risk (battlediabetes.com)
The Difference Between Type 1 And Type 2 Diabetes (fitnesstipsforlife.com)
Exercise alone shown to improve insulin sensitivity in obese sedentary adolescents (scienceblog.com)

Posted in Diseases, Conditions and Treatments |

Tags: blood glucose levels, cholesterol, cinnamon and diabetes, exercise, health benefits, Insulin resistance, lose weight, Pancreas, triglycerides, type 2 diabetes |

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Don’t Let Chronic Back Pain Limit Your Brain Power

December 2nd, 2009

: Image by BIJI KURIAN via Flickr

Chronic back pain is one of the most vexing problems that you can have. Not being able to find comfort in any position and the resulting problems.

You can work on back pain by helping your back get stronger and healthier. Remember pain pills are ok to take if you really need them but they don’t solve the underlying problem.

You can begin to address the problem by noticing your posture and beginning to correct it when it is poor. Massage is good. Getting your back more flexible can also help, check out: Kundalini Yoga. There are also more traditional exercises – there is a good video at the end of this post that you should watch. These are just a couple of ideas to help resolve your back problems.

Don’t Let Chronic Back Pain Limit Your Brain Power

by Jesse Cann

You don’t need to be a scientist to know that chronic back pain can have a negative impact on your life, often bringing with it anxiety and depression. It can affect your ability to work, sleep, and perform other daily activities.

Until recently, it has been assumed that whatever changes occurred in the brain as a result of chronic back pain were only temporary and that the brain would revert to a normal state once the pain stopped.

Recent findings by researchers from Northwestern University have turned this assumption on its head. What they found was that chronic back pain — defined as pain lasting six months or longer — can cause significant and long-lasting damage to the brain, aging it up to 20 times faster than normal.¹

The Northwestern study is consistent with other research on chronic pain and cognitive ability.

Evidence of a link between chronic pain and brain function comes from a study done at Keele University in the United Kingdom. Scientists compared the “prospective” memory — such as remembering to pick up groceries or keep a doctor’s appointment — of 50 subjects with chronic back pain to the memory of 50 subjects who were pain-free.

Investigators used something called the Prospective Memory Questionnaire, a self-rating scale that requires users to record the number of times their prospective memory fails in a given period of time. The scale measures three types of prospective memory: long-term habitual, short-term episodic, and internally cued.

Those with chronic pain had significantly impaired short-term memory compared with subjects who were pain-free. No differences were observed in the other types of prospective memory.

Researchers believe that when pain kicks in, it triggers a region of the brain known as the lateral occipital complex (LOC). When this happens, it overrides a person’s ability to concentrate and accurately recognize images.

You can help preserve your short-term memory — even if you do live with chronic pain — by following these easy tips.

Read out loud

If you want to remember something, saying the words out loud will help burn the information into your brain. If you can turn it into a rhyme, it’s even better.

Write things down

Mental clutter makes it hard to recall data. Use address books, datebooks, and calendars. Jot down notes on more complicated material and reorganize your notes as soon as possible. The physical act of rewriting can help imprint facts into your memory.

Rehearse and review

Go over what you’ve learned the day you learn it, and review it periodically. Researchers call this “spaced rehearsal.” It has proven to be more effective than cramming.

Get your vitamins

Nutrients such as vitamins B, C, and E can nurture brain function. Dietary sources of vitamin B include spinach and other dark leafy greens, strawberries, melons, and black beans. Vitamins C and E improve the flow of oxygen through the brain. Good natural sources are berries, sweet potatoes, red tomatoes, green tea, nuts, citrus fruits, and liver. Omega-3 fatty acids found in cold-water fish such as salmon and tuna are also associated with improved cognitive function.

Surprise your brain

Another way to help your brain perform better is to stimulate it through novelty. For example, brushing your teeth with your left hand (if you’re right-handed) will fire up seldom-used connections on the non-dominant side of your brain. Or try “neurobic” exercise, which forces you to use your faculties in unusual ways — say, getting dressed with your eyes closed, taking a course in a subject you know nothing about, or cooking a recipe in an unfamiliar cuisine.

Reference

1. The Journal of Neuroscience, November 17, 2004; 24(46):10410-10415.

[Ed. Note: Jesse Cannone is a certified fitness trainer, rehabilitation specialist and co-founder of the Healthy Back Institute. For more information on how you can reduce or completely eliminate your pain naturally, click here.]

This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs which offers alternative health solutions for mind, body and soul.

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Posted in Healthy Living, affirmations |

Tags: abs, back pain, exercise, Fitness, omega-3, Yoga |

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Fitness Ramps Up Brain Power

October 12th, 2008

Obesity and the Brain: The Exercise Connection

By Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., CNS

For years, conventional wisdom has been that exercise helps control weight by simply burning calories. But it appears that it does much more than that.

Last year, Arthur Kramer, Ph.D., did some groundbreaking studies at the University of Illinois. His research found that merely 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise three to five times a week could increase the size of the brain. The mechanism? A powerful chemical called Brain Derived Neurotropic Factor (BDNF). Harvard Professor of Psychiatry John Ratey, M.D., has called this substance “Miracle-Gro for the brain.”

According to a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine, BDNF may help regulate calorie intake. People with low levels of the chemical have a considerably greater risk of being overweight.

This new study isn’t the first time a connection between obesity and BDNF has been noted. In a 2007 study in Neuroscience, researchers removed the BDNF gene in two of the appetite-regulating areas of the brains of mice. They promptly became fat!

But genes aren’t destiny. Researchers were able to get the mice back to normal weight by restricting their food intake.

It’s always easier to eat less food if you aren’t too hungry. So why not boost levels of a natural compound – BDNF – that could help control your appetite in the first place? Especially when you can increase your BDNF levels so easily… with basic, everyday exercise.

[Ed. Note: Natural methods - including plain old exercise - can have a powerful effect on your health. For more natural ways to feel better and live longer, check out nutrition expert Jonny Bowden's book The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth.

To read more articles on healthy living in ETR's natural health e-letter, click here.]

This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, an e-zine dedicated to making money, improving your health and quality of life. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.

Posted in Fitness and health |

Tags: BDNF, brain, exercise, Fitness, obesity |

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