Diabetes is a group of chronic hormonal disorders that results in too much sugar (glucose) in the blood. There are a number of forms of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder, usually appearing when a person is quite young. Type 2 diabetes is an acquired disorder that used to be considered an adult condition that is unfortunately appearing more and more often in children. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes.  A third form of diabetes is called gestational diabetes and occurs in the second half of pregnancy and is relatively common, occurring in less than 10% of pregnant women. Some physicians include pre-diabetes as an early form of diabetes. Individuals with prediabetes have higher than normal levels of blood glucose, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetics. Individuals with pre-diabetes (also known as insulin resistance) have a very high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, is the main chemical messenger that “tells” the cells that it is time to take up glucose. Insulin is involved in messaging the liver to take up glucose and transform it into the storage form of glucose known as glycogen. Insulin is also involved in a wide range of other functions like protein and fat metabolism.  All diabetics can also be said to have insulin resistance. The reason they have high blood glucose is that the cells in their body do not take up glucose. The reason for this is that the cells in their body do not respond normally to insulin. If the cells become insulin resistant, they “ignore” or can’t respond to the signal from insulin. This can increase the levels of glucose in the blood. When this happens the pancreas responds by producing even more insulin in an attempt to “force” the glucose into the cells. The problem is that since the insulin has no effect on the insulin-resistant cells, the blood glucose levels can keep rising. The body’s response is to convert the high levels of glucose in the blood into fat, and that can set up a scenario of chronic inflammation and other disorders like full blown Type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and heart disease. The most common symptoms of Type 2 diabetes include: increased thirst along with more frequent urination, increased appetite, weight gain or unexpected weight loss, blurry or changed vision, fatigue, and increased number of infections. Type 2 diabetes is diagnosed by your symptoms and a number of specific blood tests that measure how well your body handles sugars. Most cases of diabetes can be controlled with a combination of medications (hypoglycemics -- medicines that lower blood sugars), diet, and exercise. Insulin may be ordered for some patients, especially those with Type 1 diabetes. Current research indicates that one of the components of cinnamon, methyl hydroxychalcone polymer or MHCP, can improve how cells respond to insulin. MHCP seems to mimic some of insulin’s activity.  It also appears to work side by side with insulin, by improving the effectiveness of insulin. MHCP also has antioxidant effects, though it is not clear that these have anything to do with the ability of cinnamon to control blood glucose.

Summary:
Learn about diabetes. Investigate how insulin affects blood sugar. Understand how Type 2 diabetes functions and its traditional treatment. Find out why cinnamon can help control Type 2 diabetes.