Cinnamon vs Metformin for blood sugar
Short answer: For blood sugar, users rate them about the same: 100% report improvement with Cinnamon (12 reports) and 96% with Metformin (27 reports).
Cinnamon has 75 meta-analyses and 95 randomized trials on PubMed; Metformin has 1,367 and 3,450.
Based on 54 reports about Cinnamon and 175 about Metformin. Not medical advice.
| Cinnamon Supplement | Metformin Medication | |
|---|---|---|
| Users say it helped | 68%helped10 reports · few reports | 29%helped67 reports · medium confidence |
| Verdict | Mostly positive | Mixed |
| Research | AResearch: Strong | AResearch: Strong |
| Meta-analyses / RCTs | 75 / 95 | 1,367 / 3,450 |
| Mainly used for | ||
| Blood sugar % reporting improvement | 100% (12) | 96% (27) |
| Performance % reporting improvement | — | 0% (15) |
| Longevity % reporting improvement | — | 100% (11) |
| Weight loss % reporting improvement | — | 90% (10) |
| Energy % reporting improvement | — | 40% (10) |
| Common side effects | coumarin toxicity | stomach issues, diarrhea, b12 depletion, nausea |
| Typical dose reported | 1 teaspoon | Not listed |
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 ↗“And I'll add: cinnamon, C3G, ALA, possibly also banana leaf, Benfotiamine and Fucoxanthin”
The choice of metformin or COCP treatment should be based on symptoms, noting some biochemical benefits from combination treatment targeting both major endocrine disturbances seen in PCOS (hyperinsulinemia and hyperandrogenism).
J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2024 ↗“Metformin currently has enough data for me personally to feel comfortable not only taking it myself (and my wife), but also recommending it to my patients.”
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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