BELTSVILLE, Md. A water-soluble extract of cinnamon, which contains antioxidative compounds, could help reduce risk factors associated with diabetes and heart disease, according to a new study led by a Department of Agriculture chemist.

The study, led by chemist Richard Anderson and coauthored by Tim Ziegenfuss of the Center for Applied Health Sciences, examined 22 obese participants with prediabetes. The participants were divided into two groups, one receiving 250 mg of a dried water-soluble cinnamon extract and the other placebo, both twice daily along with their usual diets. Anderson found that the water-soluble cinnamon extract improved a number of antioxidant variables by as much as 13% to 23%, and improvement in antioxidant status was correlated with decreases in fasting glucose, he said.

Anderson also noted that additional research can tell whether the investigational study supported the idea that people who are overweight or obese could reduce oxidative stress and blood glucose by consuming cinnamon extracts.

The study was published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.