PlainPill

ALA vs Cinnamon for blood sugar

Short answer: For blood sugar, users rate them about the same: 100% report improvement with ALA (9 reports) and 100% with Cinnamon (12 reports).

ALA has 100 meta-analyses and 243 randomized trials on PubMed; Cinnamon has 75 and 95.

Based on 320 reports about ALA and 54 about Cinnamon. Not medical advice.

ALA
Supplement
Cinnamon
Supplement
Users say it helped65%helped54 reports · medium confidence68%helped10 reports · few reports
Verdict
Mostly positive
Mostly positive
ResearchAResearch: StrongAResearch: Strong
Meta-analyses / RCTs100 / 24375 / 95
Mainly used for
Blood sugar
% reporting improvement
100% (9)100% (12)
Energy
% reporting improvement
100% (15)—
Pain & inflammation
% reporting improvement
86% (7)100% (2)
Focus
% reporting improvement
80% (5)—
Common side effectsliver damage, headache, fatty liver, mercury braincoumarin toxicity
Typical dose reported600 mg / daily1 teaspoon
ALA
Latest review conclusion

ALA treatment had favorable effects on DSPN by reducing sensory symptoms, and it resulted in a dose-dependent response relative to the placebo for TSS and the global satisfaction score. The use of ALA to prevent neurological symptoms should be further researched.

Nutrients, 2023 ↗
What a user said
“I also take alcar, alpha lipoic acid, choline, and pqq, but... there is some difference with these, but not as major as with CoQ10.”
Full ALA profile →
Cinnamon
Latest review conclusion

The consumption of cinnamon is associated with a statistically significant decrease in levels of fasting plasma glucose, total cholesterol, LDL-C, and triglyceride levels, and an increase in HDL-C levels; however, no significant effect on hemoglobin A1c was found. The high degree of heterogeneity may limit the ability to apply these results to patient care, because the preferred dose and duration of therapy are unclear.

Ann Fam Med, 2013 ↗
What a user said
“And I'll add: cinnamon, C3G, ALA, possibly also banana leaf, Benfotiamine and Fucoxanthin”
Full Cinnamon profile →

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Percentages come from first-hand user reports and are not clinical outcomes. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. How we rate