Abstract

CINNAMON: BIOACTIVE COMPONENTS AND USAGE FOR THE DIABETES PATIENTS

Sivapriya. T*, Dr. Sheila John

Abstract

The term diabetes mellitus describes a metabolic disorder of multiple aetiologies characterized by chronic hyperglycemia with disturbances of carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism. Diabetes may be due to defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. The effects of diabetes mellitus include long-term damage, dysfunction and failure of various organs. Controlling plasma blood glucose may help in reducing the risk of diabetes. Horizon of therapeutic management for diabetes is shrinking at a faster rate than expected due to the side effects of the medicines. Acceptance of medicinal power of foods is not a recent event but has been a widely accepted philosophy for generations. These days, consumer’s attitudes towards the health benefits of foods and their components appear to be growing at an unprecedented pace. Although cinnamon is used as a spice from a long time, research interventions have proved the promising efficacy of cinnamon in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Scientific evidences shows cinnamons efficacy as an insulin mimetic and insulin sensitizing agent, in addition to other potential mechanisms of action.

Keywords: chronic hyperglycemia, insulin secretion, insulin action.