Supplement Facts

Nutrition Know-How
First for Women
By: Ann Louise Gittleman
March 13, 2006

Simple swap to shrink stubborn belly bulge

I’m about 30 pounds overweight, and most of the weight is in my belly. Dieting doesn’t help—my butt and boobs shrink, which just makes my stomach look even bigger! Now that I’m hearing more about the link between apple shapes and metabolic syndrome, I’m worried the extra inches are putting me at risk. How can I lose my tummy?

The quick fix: Eat more protein. A recent study from McMaster University in Canada found that participants who increased their daily protein intake by just 3 percent (and cut calories elsewhere to make up for the difference) watched their waist-to-hip ratio shrink by 6 percent. The extra protein triggered the production of glucagon. This pancreatic hormone targets abdominal fat cells to convert them to fuel. So just one or two small adjustments per day, like having two eggs for breakfast instead of cereal or piling a few extra slices of deli meat on your sandwich, will have you on your way to a trimmer waistline.

A weight-loss “cocktail” that really works!

A coworker of mine looks like she’s dropped four pant sizes in the past two months, and I know she doesn’t exercise. So I asked her what her secret was. She said she just started drinking an alcohol-free Bloody Mary concoction before meals and the pounds fell off. It sounds unbelievable. Does this actually work?

Yes! While her trick has been around for a while, there’s finally research that proves it’s effective. Scientists in the Netherlands learned that drinking tomato juice spiked with 1 gram of ground chili peppers 30 minutes before a meal led to a 15 percent reduction in food intake. Subjects also opted for less calorie-heavy foods like salad over denser dishes like pasta and creamy soups.

SOS for out-of-whack blood sugar

I was shocked when my blood work after my last checkup showed I have prediabetes. My doctor warned me that if I don’t lose at least 40 pounds, it’ll become full-blown diabetes. So I cut back on sweets and I’m walking three times a week, but I’ve lost only two pounds—and it’s been three weeks! How can I lower my risk faster?

Rest assured you’re on the right track. People with prediabetes (subclinically high blood-sugar levels) who start exercising and lose just 5 percent of their body weight reduce their risk of Type II diabetes by 58 percent. But you can speed results with a cinnamon supplement. A recent clinical study found that people with prediabetes who consumed 250 to 500 mg of the spice extract daily experienced up to a 29 percent decrease in fasting glucose levels after one month. The active compound, methylhydroxy chalcone polymer, also produced a 50 percent improvement in subjects’ sensitivity to glucose-regulating insulin. What’s more, the extract reduced overall body fat by up to 5 percent, the amount proven to reduce risk of full-blown diabetes. Look for Cinnulin PF, the only cinnamon extract tested for toxicity that retains the beneficial active compounds. It can be found in Best Cinnamon Extract by Doctor’s Best ($10 for 60 capsules, at iherb.com).

In Vitro and Animal Studies

Research has revealed that a number of herbs and spices have insulin-like activity.2 In a study published in 2000 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), cinnamon demonstrated the greatest ability to stimulate cellular glucose metabolism among 49 botanicals tested.3

In a 2001 study, researchers at the USDA’s Human Nutrition Research Center showed that bioactive compounds in cinnamon trigger an insulin-like response in fat cells.4 These compounds stimulated glucose uptake into cells and increased glycogen (stored glucose) production via activation of the enzyme, glycogen synthase.

The bioactive compounds in cinnamon appear to potentiate insulin activity at the level of the cell receptor for insulin.  It has been shown that insulin resistance involves downregulation of “insulin signaling” characterized by dephosphorylation of the receptor.5  Enzymes called “protein tyrosine kinases” (PTPases) are believed to decrease receptor phosphorylation, and increased PTPase activity has been observed in insulin resistant rats.6 Cinnamon compounds have demonstrated the in vitro ability to inhibit PTP-1 and increase autophosphorylation of the insulin receptor.7

In a recent animal study, cinnamon (cassia) extract was administered to rats for three weeks. Following this, the rats were infused with insulin and glucose to assess their insulin response. Increased phosphorylation of the insulin receptor was observed in skeletal muscle of these rats, suggesting that cinnamon has the ability to potentiate insulin function by normalizing insulin signaling, leading to improved uptake of glucose into skeletal muscle.8

Until recently, the precise molecular structure of the bioactive compounds in cinnamon had not been clearly defined. The USDA has now determined that the bioactive compounds in cinnamon are water-soluble procyanidin Type-A polymers of catechin and epicatechin.  In a 2004 study, type-A polymers were isolated from cinnamon and characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectroscopy. Type-A polymers were found to increase in vitro insulin activity by a factor of 20. Type-A polymers also exhibited antioxidant activity, as measured by inhibition of free radical production in platelets. These results suggest that, in addition to regulating glucose metabolism, cinnamon may help protect cell membranes by controlling the lipid peroxidation associated with disruptions in insulin function.9

Human Clinical Trial

The effect of cinnamon on glucose and blood lipids levels on people with type 2 diabetes was tested in a recent randomized, placebo-controlled trial. A total of 60 subjects were divided into six groups administered 1, 3, or 6 grams of cinnamon daily, in 500 mg capsules, or equal numbers of placebo capsules. The cinnamon or placebo capsules were consumed for two periods of 20 days each. Serum glucose, triglyceride, cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol were measured after 20 days, 40 days and again at the end of a 20-day wash-out period, during which neither cinnamon nor placebo was consumed.

In all three cinnamon groups, statistically significant reductions in blood glucose levels occurred, with decreases ranging from 18 to 29 percent. Interestingly, glucose levels remained significantly lower after the 20-day wash-out period (60 days from the study start) only in the group that took the lowest cinnamon dose (1 gram daily). The placebo groups showed no significant changes.

Decreases in triglyceride levels ranging from 23 to 30% were observed in all three cinnamon groups after 40 days. When the study ended at 60 days, triglyceride levels remained lower than at the study start in the 1 and 3 gram cinnamon groups, but not in the group taking 6 grams daily. Cholesterol reductions also occurred with the three cinnamon doses, with decreases ranging from 13 to 25% that were maintained at the study end. For LDL, the 3 and 6 gram cinnamon groups showed significant reductions from 10 to 24%, while in the 1 gram cinnamon group, non-significant reductions occurred after 40 days; LDL levels continued to decrease, reaching statistical significance at 60 days. With respect to HDL, significant increases were seen only in the 3 gram cinnamon group after 20 days; non-significant changes occurred in the 1 and 6 gram groups after 40 days.

The overall results of this trial demonstrate that cinnamon exerts a beneficial effect on blood glucose and lipid levels in people with type 2 diabetes, at daily intakes of 1 gram, and that this low dose is equally efficacious as are the higher doses of 3 and 6 grams.10

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