High cholesterol treatment: Does cinnamon lower cholesterol?

Does taking cinnamon lower cholesterol levels?

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Answer

In 2003, a small study suggested that cinnamon may help lower blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. The same study also found that cinnamon had a similar effect on cholesterol levels. Results of this study showed modest reductions in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, triglycerides and total cholesterol. But a study of cinnamon published in 2006 — which reported a positive effect on blood sugar — showed no effect on cholesterol levels. The older study used powdered cinnamon, and the more recent study used extract of cinnamon.

At this point, there's no definitive evidence that cinnamon lowers cholesterol. More research is needed to determine what role, if any, cinnamon plays in treating high cholesterol in humans.

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