Does Drinking Cinnamon And Ginger Mixture Cure Diabetes?
A claim on TikTok stated that drinking a mixture of cinnamon and ginger is a cure for diabetes. This was posted on April 30, 2025 with an image of cinnamon and ginger, and a voiceover making the claim, it was captioned “Mix Cinnamon with Ginger and say goodbye to Diabetes”.
As of when this report was published, the TikTok post has gained 1.2 million views, over 50,700 likes, about 1130 comments, over 28,900 shares and about 19,300 bookmarks.
VERIFICATION
Can Diabetes Be Cured?
Medical researchers have established that there is no cure for diabetes yet. Once an individual is diagnosed with it, there is no way to completely get rid of it. However, the severity of diabetes in certain stages can be reversed in most patients. Experts explained that reversing diabetes is the process of carefully managing the diabetic patient’s blood sugars to a point where they no longer need medications, and maintaining that manageable point through a routine of healthy diet and exercise.
What Effect Does Cinnamon And Ginger Have On Blood Sugar?
Some studies suggest that cinnamon, particularly Ceylon cinnamon, may help lower blood sugar levels slightly by improving insulin sensitivity. However, the effects are minimal and cannot be considered as a substitute for diabetic medications. In fact, high doses of cassia cinnamon, which is the most common type of cinnamon, can be harmful to the liver due to its coumarin content.
On the other hand, while Ginger may have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, available research suggests that ginger supplements may only slightly improve blood glucose and HbA1c (a marker of long-term glucose control). Still, the effects are not strong enough to replace proper diabetes treatment.
What Medical Experts Have To Say
When asked about drinking the mixture of Cinnamon and Ginger, Dr Osaro Collins of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, UPTH, said that, “With diabetes, the body either does not produce enough insulin or produces insulin that it does not use effectively.” He added that “herbs and supplements cannot cure diabetes and cannot be a standalone treatment, although combined with conventional treatment, herbs may relieve diabetes symptoms and reduce the risk of complications.”
Dr. Osaro stressed that “a diabetic patient should speak with a healthcare professional before starting [to use] any herbs or supplements, especially if they are taking other medications, because herbs and supplements can cause interactions with prescription medications, which might be toxic if people take large amounts of them.”
Meanwhile, Dr Enobong Uwa, a Botanist at the University of Uyo, explained that “while ginger can be a beneficial addition to the diet of people with diabetes, it can also affect insulin levels and might interact with certain diabetes medications, potentially leading to hypoglycaemia, which is low blood sugar.”
According to Dr. Uwa, “it also has the potential to interact with other medications, such as blood thinners and blood pressure medications.” She explained further that “extracts of most of these herbs exist in pharmaceutical medications. Therefore, it is better to follow the prescription, since these extracts have been refined and added in the right proportions.” He concluded that “research on this combination has been hard to come by”.
CONCLUSION
The claim that drinking a mixture of cinnamon and ginger is a cure for diabetes is MISLEADING, as there is no medical evidence to support this. Available research shows that cinnamon can only help to reduce blood sugar levels, not cure diabetes. In fact, over-consumption of it is harmful to the liver. Meanwhile, ginger on its own, might interact with certain diabetes medications, therefore causing further medical complications. Finally, diabetes is not curable, but can only be managed with prescribed medication, palliative care, dieting and exercising.
