Cinnamon and the effects on your liver

[daffy1]

About a year ago I was told that I may have to go onto insulin as my sugars were erratic and high. After some research I found that cinnamon could possibly helP lower your BG. I bought a good quality one which they suggested and have taken 2.5 grams every day and it worked and my sugars came down. I told my GP and she was a bit surprised but said if it was working all was ok. Things were fine till about a month ago when I was feeling ill and the doc said my liver enzymes were high and was surprised when I told her I barely drank. I have had a fatty liver for some time now and was never concerned till I read that cinnamon can damage your liver . I decided to come off it for a while and am going to request a new test in about a month to see if it improves. But the big problem is my sugars have shot up. They were 13.5 first thing this morning and now they are up at 19.5 before lunch. And now I'm shaking and have a headache. I have read that you can take up to 6g per day so am well under the limit, but wondered if anyone has had a similar experience. I won't know for a while if stopping the cinnamon will help my live to recover. Any info would be appreciated.

 

[Keesha]

2.5 grams is about half a teaspoon, right? How long did you take the cinnamon? I have a sprinkling of cinnamon with my coffee every morning. Hope it does not damage my liver! LOL will probably stop now. Thanks for the information.


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[Winnie53]

@daffy1 were you using cassia or Ceylon cinnamon? Do you know?

This article discusses the problem... http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303376904579135502891970942

Sorry to hear you're sensitive to coumarin, "a naturally occurring organic compound that can cause liver damage if consumed in excess". Cassia cinnamon has larger amounts of coumarin. According the to the article, "the study found only trace amounts of coumarin in Ceylon cinnamon".

 

[daffy1]

I

2.5 grams is about half a teaspoon, right? How long did you take the cinnamon? I have a sprinkling of cinnamon with my coffee every morning. Hope it does not damage my liver! LOL will probably stop now. Thanks for the information.


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ve been taking the cinnamon in tablet form for about a year. The cinnamon you cook with does not have the same ingredients a the tablets. mi started by drinking cinnamon with honey but I couldn't get used to the taste .

 

[Keesha]

Hopefully it is not too late to reverse your liver damage and feel better soon. All the very best to you.


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[Winnie53]

@daffy1 when my husband and I were much younger, we applied for life insurance. My husband was denied coverage because he had elevated liver enzyme levels. He was advised to immediately seek medical care.

At the time, my husband would have been in his late 30's or early 40's. This was back in the 80's when the book Life Extension was advocating high doses of specific vitamins.

He otherwise was quite healthy, so he began researching possible side effects of each nutritional supplement he was taking at the time. He discovered that one of the supplements he was taking in high doses could dramatically increase liver enzyme levels, so he dropped the dosage down and his liver enzyme levels returned to normal. Neither of us can remember this morning what the supplement was, sorry...

I greatly appreciate forum members sharing both the benefits and adverse effects of nutritional supplements because they, like over the counter medications, and prescribed medications, can cause unwanted side effects, and as in your case, sometime damage. (Our son's girlfriend is a Tylenol survivor. She was found unconscious, was in a coma for two weeks, and woke up with a liver transplant eight years ago).

Anyway, long story short, his liver recovered, and he continues to enjoy good health today.

The good that you are so proactive with your health, that you noted you felt unwell and saw your doctor. I also hope both you and your liver are feeling better soon. I've got my fingers and toes crossed that this will be the case for you too.

 

[therower]

This may not be of much use, but I was recently talking to a guy at work who is a type 2 and his father is also type 2. They live up in Newcastle and this guy's father has been on an approved clinical trial to assess cinnamon and it's effect on diabetes control. Sorry I don't know all the results but apparently the results so far have been encouraging. I'll try for more information but only see the guy occasionally.