Cinnamon Extract

Supplements · Digestive & Metabolic Herbs · Supplement, Typed Supps

The spice, concentrated for its blood sugar research.

Stage by stage

Intake (Extract capsule (Ceylon or cassia)): Active compounds absorbed in the small intestine.
Small intestine (Absorbed): Absorbed alongside other plant compounds in the extract.
Bloodstream (Circulates): Circulates throughout the body.
Post-meal blood sugar (Modest studied effect): Studied for modest effects on how the body handles blood sugar after meals.

What the evidence supports

Modestly lowering fasting blood glucose — limited evidence. Some meta-analyses show small reductions in fasting glucose, but results are inconsistent between trials and the effect is unreliable.
Lowering HbA1c (longer-term glucose control) — insufficient evidence. Pooled trials do not show a consistent effect on HbA1c; a Cochrane review concluded evidence is insufficient to recommend cinnamon for diabetes.
Evidence that it causes Liver injury from the coumarin in cassia cinnamon — limited evidence. Cassia cinnamon contains coumarin, which is hepatotoxic in susceptible people at high intake; the EFSA tolerable daily intake is about 0.1 mg/kg, easily exceeded by concentrated cassia.

Typical dose

1–6 g daily in trials

Upper limit: Governed by coumarin: EFSA sets a tolerable daily intake of ~0.1 mg/kg, which high-dose cassia can exceed

Timing

With meals, standard dosing.

Time to effect

Weeks: Any reported blood sugar effect in studies.

Medication interactions

Diabetes medication (e.g. insulin, sulfonylureas): Any glucose-lowering effect could add to the drug's, raising the risk of low blood sugar. (moderate)

Common myth

“Cinnamon supplements can replace diabetes medication.” In reality: Studied effects are modest and supportive at best — nowhere near a substitute for prescribed treatment.