Cinnamon beneficial for high BP patients, finds Study

Iran: Cinnamon can be considered as a complementary treatment for patients with stage 1 hypertension (S1HTN), suggests a recent study in the Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine. According to the study, consumption of cinnamon significantly decreased ambulatory systolic blood pressure (SBP) but in a clinically moderate way and also improved lipid profile (decreased LDL-C and increased HDL-C). 

S1HTN is defined as systolic blood pressure of 140–159 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of 90–99 mm Hg. 

The effect of cinnamon on blood pressure remains controversial. Fatemeh Shirzad, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran, and colleagues, therefore, aimed to assess cinnamon effect on blood pressure, and metabolic profile of stage 1 hypertension patients in a pilot study.

For the purpose, the researchers conducted a s double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trial between June and October 2019, in Mashhad, Iran. It included studies with S1HTN diagnosis, based on 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). 

People were randomly assigned to cinnamon group (capsule, 1500 mg/day, 90 days) and placebo group. On days days 0 and 90, the researchers recorded ABPM derived systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP, respectively), blood lipid profile, and fasting blood sugar (FBS). 

"Our findings reveal that cinnamon statistically significant but clinically mildly decreased mean ambulatory SBP in S1HTN patients. A significant and clinically meaningful decrease in LDL-c and a parallel increase in HDL-c were observed in cinnamon treated hypertensive patients," concluded the authors. 

The study titled, "Cinnamon effects on blood pressure and metabolic profile: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in patients with stage 1 hypertension," is published in the Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine.

DOI: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7885002/