No, cinnamon is not ‘the best remedy in the world' to treat diabetes

A video on Instagram claims that a “cinnamon ritual” can be used by diabetics to control their blood sugar in place of conventional medicine.

We can find no evidence that this is true, and it contradicts advice from Diabetes UK. 

A woman in the video says: “This is the best remedy in the world to treat diabetes. You can forget about metformin and insulin injections. After using this you’ll never have to worry about high blood sugar levels again.”

The video does not explain the details of this remedy or ritual, but calls it “a homemade method using cinnamon”. 

At one point, the woman in the video says: “To get more details I’ve put together a quick video of a renowned researcher where he shows you how you can do this at home. Click on the know more button to see the quick presentation I selected especially for you.”

We could not find a “know more” button on the post.

When Full Fact asked the charity Diabetes UK about the claim in this video, it told us that there was no research evidence that any supplements or functional foods either prevent or cause diabetes.

A page on the charity’s website says herbal and complementary remedies “should not be a substitute for your medications”, and adds: “Diabetes UK does not recommend the use of herbal remedies and supplements as there is not enough evidence that they are safe and effective for people with diabetes to use.”

Many scientific studies have investigated cinnamon’s potential as a possible treatment for diabetes in humans, with mixed results.

For instance, a small study of 30 participants published in 2012 found that when the data from the two weight categories of their subjects was combined, there was a reduction in blood glucose in the hour after a meal, although there was an increase after two hours.  

Following up on this, a small University of California pilot study published in 2021 did not find a reduction in blood sugar among participants who were given cinnamon with a bowl of oatmeal—indeed it found a small rise in the case of the overweight or obese patients after an hour.

In addition to these smaller studies, several systematic reviews and meta-analyses have explored whether cinnamon might support diabetes management.

A 2012 Cochrane review of the evidence available at the time, based on research covering 577 participants, found that there was “insufficient evidence to support the use of cinnamon for type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus”.

However, a 2013 meta-analysis found that cinnamon was linked to reductions in fasting blood sugar and total cholesterol levels, although it didn’t significantly affect levels of HbA1c—a key marker of long-term blood sugar control.

A 2019 review reached similar conclusions: cinnamon appeared to lower fasting blood sugar in diabetes patients, but again had no significant effect on long-term blood sugar. 

More research is needed to determine whether cinnamon may be useful for diabetes management, but the existing evidence has not established that it is a safe and effective treatment. False information can be harmful if people use it to make decisions about their health.