Iran: An umbrella meta-analysis has shown that cinnamon consumption improves dyslipidaemia in some metabolic disorders, particularly PCOS, and improves interleukin -6 and total antioxidant capacity (TAC). Dyslipidemia promotes atherosclerosis, a key risk factor for CVD (cardiovascular disease).
The research was published in Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases on March 17, 2023.
Cinnamon is a polyphenol-rich spice that might be the oldest known spice in the world. In ancient Egypt, it was more valuable than gold. Cinnamon is used in nearly every holiday treat during the winter and fall, but there are plenty of benefits to using cinnamon year-round. Science has confirmed the many health benefits associated with cinnamon use.
The spice is beneficial for markers of cardiometabolic health, like inflammation, oxidative stress, and lipid profile. It contains iron, manganese, dietary fibre, calcium, its derivatives, and other related compounds. Despite the accumulating evidence from meta-analyses on cinnamon effects on these markers, their findings are controversial. Therefore, Bahareh Sarmadi, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran and colleagues performed the current umbrella meta-analysis to evaluate the present evidence and provide a conclusive clarification.
For this purpose, the investigators searched the international databases from inception to January 2022.
The meta-analyses revealed the following findings:
Findings of eleven meta-analyses revealed that cinnamon consumption could notably improve total cholesterol (TC) (WMD = -1.01mg/dl), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (WMD = 0.47 mg/dl) levels, and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) (WMD = -0.82mg/dl) but not triglyceride (TG) (WMD = -0.13 mg/dl).
The findings did not show any remarkable effect of cinnamon on the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) (WMD = -0.47) and C-reactive protein (CRP) (WMD = -1.33), but it enhanced total antioxidant capacity in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and type 2 diabetes (WMD = 0.34) and interleukin -6 (WMD = -1.48).
The authors conclude, "our results support the usefulness of cinnamon intake in modulating imbalanced lipid profiles in some of the metabolic disorders, specifically PCOS, and improving TAC and interleukin -6."
Reference:
The study titled "The Effect of Cinnamon Consumption on Lipid Profile, Oxidative Stress, and Inflammation Biomarkers in adults: An umbrella meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials" was published in Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.numecd.2023.03.010