PowerPoint by Gwen Y. Reyes-Amurao, M.D.,

1. Cinnamon Supplementation Positively Affects Obesity: A Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials Seyed Mohammad Mousavi, Jamal Rahmani, Hamed Kord-Varkaneh, Ali Sheikhi, Bagger Larijani, Ahmad Esmaillzdeh Journal of Clinical Nutrition PowerPoint by Gwen Y. Reyes-Amurao, M.D.,

2. Introduction

3. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines obesity as the abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that is a major risk factor for a number of chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. • Obesity can be obtained by dividing a person’s weight in kilograms by the square of one’s height in meters, or more commonly known as body mass index or BMI. • According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, obesity is now considered a global epidemic with its prevalence doubling in 73 countries around the world, and steadily increasing in the past 20 years. Currently, there are 2 billion people worldwide who suffer from obesity and its complications. • Aside from body mass index, important determinants of obesity include waist circumference, body weight and fat mass percentage, or body fat and its pattern of distribution.

4. Obesity predisposes an individual to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, malignancy, sleep apnea, chronic hypoxia and hypercapnia, and degenerative joint disease. • Needless to say, obesity puts an individual at risk for almost all types of illness that can affect one’s body. • Despite its complications, obesity still remains preventable. • The World Health Organization stresses the role of lifestyle and habits, including healthy food choices and regular physical activity, as being the most accessible, available and relatively affordable option in preventing obesity.

5. More organic and newer techniques and approaches are currently being studied, one of which is the beneficial effect of herbal supplementation on body weight, with one of the most studied herb or spice being cinnamon. • Cinnamon has been shown to possess anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-tumor, cardiovascular, cholesterol-lowering and immunomodulatory effects, dating back to as far as third millenium BC, in the age of Ancient China, India and Medieval Europe. • The flavonols, procyanids and cinnamaldehyde found in cinnamon have been shown to extensively improve the health of diabetics by addressing factors which can lead to improved sugar and fat metabolism that may ultimately prevent obesity.

6. Relevance

7. Obesity and its complications have long been a concern in the field of health. • With the increasing number of obese and overweight individuals all over the world, controlling one’s weight has become a challenge for most people. • Because research reveals that conventional methods of losing weight such as diet restriction or lifestyle modification have not been effective, a new approach in the form of herbal remedies and supplements have become an option in providing easier and more successful methods for weight loss.

8. Objectives

9. This study aims to assess the effects of cinnamon supplementation on obesity, specifically how it positively influences one’s body weight, body mass index, waist circumference and fat mass percentage in adults.

10. Highlights

11. Study Inclusions • This review included randomized placebo-controlled studies that were performed on individuals 18 years of age and above, with baseline and final measures of any or combinations of body weight, BMI, waist circumference, and fat mass percentage in both study and control groups. • The quality of the tests were also assessed using a reliable scoring system, while sources of varying results were identified such as cinnamon dosage, duration of supplementation, mean age, gender, baseline BMI and health status of subjects. Health issues observed in the trials were limited to type 2 diabetes, pre-diabetes, metabolic syndrome, overweight women and those with polycystic ovarian syndrome or PCOS

12. Cinnamon Supplementation, Body Weight and Body Mass Index • Body weight was significantly reduced and was observed to have a greater reduction in those 50 years old and below, compared to the older subjects. There was also a marked decrease in BMI for those who were in the obese classification (30 kg/m2 or greater), compared to those who were simply overweight. • Body weight decreased in subjects with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), compared to those with type 2 diabetes. • BMI effects on individuals with and without health concerns, showed a positive effect on their BMI with those with type 2 diabetes and apparently healthy individuals having a more significant reduction in their body mass index.

13. Waist Circumference and Fat Mass Percentage Reduction • Cinnamon supplementation resulted to a smaller waist circumference in the subjects compared to the placebo • Significant decrease in fat mass percentage was also noted, more specifically in those taking more than 2g of cinnamon daily in studies conducted 12 weeks or longer. • Reductions were observed in obese individuals less than 50 years of age.

14. Healthy Spice for the Human Body • Cinnamon has long been associated with a wide range of health benefits. • It has also been shown to improve weight-related disorders including high lipid or cholesterol levels, as well as fasting plasma glucose and HbA1c levels. • Because of its insulin-like properties, it has also been associated with weight loss and helps increase body metabolism. • Decreased cholesterol and glucose absorption have also lead to a reduction in the synthesis and storage of fat and improvement in weight loss parameters such as waist circumference and fat distribution.

15. Conclusion

16. Cinnamon supplementation can significantly reduce body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, and fat mass percentage. • It was also studied to be more efficacious in young adults, ages 50 and below, with a BMI of 30 kg/m2 and higher or in the obese, and at higher dosages for a longer duration of 12 weeks or more, with additional health benefits previously stated.

17. Reference • Obesity and overweight. (16 February 2018). Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight • Friedrich MJ. Global obesity epidemic worsening. Journal of American Medical Association 2017:318(7):603. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.10693. • Cancer associated with overweight and obesity. Retrieved from https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/obesity/overweight-cancers-infographic • Obesity and cancer. (17 January 2017). Retrieved from https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/obesity/obesity-fact-sheet • Segula D. Complications of obesity in adults: a short review of literature. Malawi Medical Journal 2014;26(1):20-24. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4062780/ • Gruenwald J, Freder J, Armbruester N. Cinnamon and health. Journal of Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 2010;50(9):822-834. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408390902773052