Efficacy of cinnamon in reducing anthropometric measurements in individuals with type 2 diabetes: a clinical trial.
José Cláudio Garcia Lira Neto, Márcio Flávio Moura de Araújo, Jardeliny Corrêa da Penha and 5 others
PMID 40667904WHAT IT FOUND
In adults with type 2 diabetes taking oral medication, cinnamon capsules for 90 days did not clearly reduce weight, BMI, waist, neck, hip, or body adiposity index compared with placebo.
Key findings
01Cinnamon capsules did not produce a statistically significant difference from placebo in any anthropometric outcome.
02The cinnamon group had mean weight change -0.80 kg and BMI change -0.36 kg/m2, while the placebo group had 0.03 kg and 0.02 kg/m2 (p=0.11 and p=0.16).
03Waist-to-hip ratio and waist-to-height ratio showed no differences between groups.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The paper gives conflicting participant counts: methods says 160 recruited and a final sample of 100 with 71 and 69, while results say 250 recruited and a final sample of 140 with 71 and 69. The analysis was per protocol, which means it focused on participants who followed the study process. The authors note limitations in intervention duration, sample size, cinnamon dosage, and no measurement of fat in specific regions such as the liver. No adjustments were made for participants' age and sex. The supplied text does not explain in detail why 250 recruited became 140 analysed, beyond eligibility criteria and follow-up losses.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the numerical reductions in the cinnamon group as proof that cinnamon works. The mean weight change was -0.80 kg and BMI change was -0.36 kg/m2, but neither difference from placebo was statistically significant (p=0.11 and p=0.16). Participants were already taking oral antidiabetic medication, so this trial tested adding cinnamon to usual medication, not cinnamon alone.