Natural Standard Featured CE/CME: Cinnamon

Natural Standard's featured CE/CME for the month of October is Cinnamon: Safety & Effectiveness.

Cinnamon has been used as a spice in several cultures for centuries. It was traditionally used to relieve stomach pain and gas; it is still used for these conditions today. The bark of two cinnamon species (Cinnamomum zeylanicum and Cinnamomum cassia) is used as a spice (cinnamon bark).

Natural Standard offers CE/CME modules for multidisciplinary healthcare professionals. Students and other users may take courses for training purposes without generating credit certificates. Continuing Education requirements differ based on discipline, license and location. If you are unsure of your specific needs, please contact your local agency.

Comments

[ac]

This is a great opportunity for students to take advantage of to gain knowledge on cinnamon. Natural Standard’s databases show that cinnamon has potential use for allergic rhinitis. I suffer from year round allergies, so it will be interesting to find out how further research will support this evidence.

[Kj]

Cinnamon has been extensively studied in diabetes with mixed results. One study which had small magnitude of benefit, but statistically significant results for metabolic syndrome. Even though they are not the same disease state, I still believe that cinnamon is an excellent alternative to sugar for diabetics.

[Nicole]

I have been asked about cinnamon in the past for diabetic patients in the past and have not been able to provide much insight. This was very useful. I look forward to being able to have better conversations with patients in the future not only about the potential benefits but also about the cautions in recommending using cinnamon.

[ML]

This CE had very interesting information about Cinnamon and all its possible benefits. I did not know about Cinnamon’s possible effects on Diabetes and Parkinson’s disease. I am curious to know if pregnant women stay away from cinnamon since it may have abortifacient effects. It was interesting to read the food interactions section. Apparently cinnamon enhances the taste of carrot broth.

[kn]

I found a great recipe for cinnamon applesauce on Natural Standard’s database as another way to incorporate cinnamon in my diet this fall. The recipe was delicious and very easy to make, like most of their posted recipes. I encourage everyone to check it out, it’s a great resource. Just another example of how diverse Natural Standard is and another benefit to having access to their information.

[KJ]

Cinnamon is one of the oldest spices and has been gaining popularity due to its many benefical effects including its hypoglycemic activity. The most popular species avaiable are Cinnamomum aromaticum (Cassia) and Cinnamomum zeylanicum. There are some controversies out there on the use of cinnamon to help treat diabetes. What I would recommend to a patient inquiring about this, is to not take this as a cure all but as a possible replacement of sugar in the diet.

[kn]

While “The Cinnamon Challenge” is generally not very healthy, cinnamon could potentially have some beneficial effects. It has a Natural Standard grade of C for unclear or conflicting scientific evidence for quite a few of indications (allergic rhinitis, diabetes, insect repellant, metabolic syndrome, etc.) I have been asked many questions about cinnamon in the past, so I think this CE would be very helpful for almost any practitioner. Offering CE/CME credits on complementary and integrative therapies is a unique service that Natural Standard provides that I plan on taking advantage of.

[JH]

Researchers found that cinnamon may lower blood sugar by decreasing insulin resistance. In people with type 2 diabetes, the sugar-lowering hormone insulin does not work as well. This leads to higher blood sugar levels. People with liver damage should be careful, however, because large amounts of cinnamon may increase liver problems. Cinnamon has also shown to reduced cholesterol but not as much as it can reduce blood sugar!

[My Lien]

I look forward to this CE. Cinnamon is gaining popularity as a treatment for diabetes. What is the evidence? Furthermore, is there a difference between the two cinnamon species used for the spice (Cinnamomum zeylanicum and Cinnamomum cassia)?

[kt]

I did not realize that cinnamon could be used to relieve stomach pain! I have used this spice hundreds of times in baking and cooking, but never thought about its uses in medicine. I wonder if using it in cooking has the same effects as taking it orally; does heat alter its effectiveness? I suppose I should check out the CE to learn more!

[ss]

Cinnamon has been found to be effective in lowering cholesterol and regulating blood sugar. It has been associated with prevention of cancer, has manganese, iron and calcium, anti-clotting and antibacterial properties. Caution should be taken when ingesting cinnamon as it can irritate the stomach, cause heart rate increase, and can affect how other medications for conditions such cardiac illnesses (such as use of blood thinners like Coumadin) work. Patients should check with their providers and read labels when purchasing this spice. Though it is a natural product, its benefits, side effects and proper use need to be investigated.

[GP]

As a healthcare provider, I’m so glad CE courses like these exist. I did not learn much about natural products in school, but patients have questions about them all the time. In fact, just recently I had a patient who was taking cinnamon for diabetes, and I did not know what to tell her about that. Now I will. Regardless of what your feelings are about natural products as a practitioner, your patients are going to use them, and so you need to be able to talk to them about these products. I also had a patient who said that years ago she took an oral contraceptive and St. Johns wort together for several months. She said she even asked a doctor if this was ok before doing so, and he said it was fine. If he had taken one of these courses, he might have known that that’s a bad combination that could render the oral contraceptive ineffective.