A comparison of the effects of cinnamon, ginger, and metformin consumption on metabolic health, anthropometric indices, and sexual hormone levels in women with poly cystic ovary syndrome: A randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled clinical trial

Abstract

Background/objectivesPolycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent endocrine disorder in women that can alter blood glucose, lipid profile and sexual hormonal level. Therefore, the evaluation of potential therapeutic agents in this population is important. The aim of the study was to determine the effects of cinnamon, ginger, and metformin intake on improvement of sex hormones level, metabolic health (lipid profiles, insulin level and fasting blood glucose) and anthropometric indices (weight, body mass index (BMI), etc.) in women with PCOS.MethodsA total of 100 women with PCOS were randomly assigned to one of the following four groups: cinnamon (500 mg of cinnamon, 3 × day), ginger (500 mg of ginger, 3 × day), metformin (500 mg of metformin 3 × day) or placebo. However, 17 participants were excluded for various reasons and consequently, 83 participants were considered for analysis. Sexual hormones, anthropometrics, glycemic and lipid markers were evaluated before and after the 8-week intervention.ResultsWeight and BMI decreased significantly in all intervention groups. The consumption of metformin and cinnamon significantly decreased insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in comparison to the placebo and ginger groups (P < 0.05). Moreover, a significant decrease in FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) and LH (Luteinizing hormone) levels were observed in the ginger compared to the placebo group. While metformin and cinnamon significantly lowered testosterone levels (P < 0.05), none of the groups experienced a significant change in DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone).ConclusionOur findings suggest that in women with PCOS, cinnamon supplementation causes similar reductions in insulin resistance and testosterone level to that of metformin. Ginger supplementation decreased FSH and LH, hormonal effects not seen following metformin consumption. Overall, cinnamon and ginger supplementations may potentially be used as alternative treatment in women with PCOS.Clinical trial registration[https://www.irct.ir/trial/28548], identifier [IRCT20171227038105N1].

Exploring the Antioxidative Effects of Ginger and Cinnamon: A Comprehensive Review of Evidence and Molecular Mechanisms Involved in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and Other Oxidative Stress-Related Disorders

“…Levels of progesterone, estradiol, LH, and FSH were increased significantly compared to the control [22]. Ginger supplementation (500 mg of ginger, 3 × day) in a study with 100 women with PCOS showed significant decreases in FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) and LH (Luteinizing hormone) levels compared to the placebo, while a cinnamon supplementation of 500 mg 3 × day lowered testosterone levels [31].…”

A Scoping Review of the Clinical Evidence for the Health Benefits of Culinary Doses of Herbs and Spices for the Prevention and Treatment of Metabolic Syndrome

“…There were 41 studies looking at the benefits of culinary doses of cinnamon. Ten in healthy individuals [46,[48][49][50][54][55][56][57]81,82], nineteen in those with diabetes [47,53,[59][60][61]63,64,[66][67][68][69][70][71][74][75][76]78,79,84], six in women with PCOS [58,65,72,73,80,83], one in Asian Indians with MetS [77], one in patients with NAFLD [62], one in individuals with impaired glucose tolerance [51], one in sedentary women with obesity [52], one in women with dyslipidaemia [86] and one in prediabetic individuals [166]. Doses ranged from 1 to 6 g, either as a single dose or daily for between 2 weeks and 6 months.…”

“…Beneficial effects on insulin were found in 4 randomized cross-over studies, 10 doubleblind RCTs and 1 single-blind RCT from doses of 1-3 g/day or single doses of 3-6 g of cinnamon [46,48,49,57,59,62,68,70,73,75,[77][78][79][80]83], while 6 double-blind RCTs, 1 singleblind RCT and 1 randomized cross-over study found no effect from doses of 1-1.5 g/day or a single dose of 6 g [47,49,51,53,60,67,71,166].…”

“…There were 11 studies on patients with type 2 diabetes looking at the impact of ginger on blood sugar, insulin and blood lipids [126,134,135], metabolic health and inflammation [125,132], fasting blood glucose and insulin sensitivity [127,129], blood glucose, insulin and inflammation [121], vascular function [122], anthropometric measurements and blood pressure [84] and anthropometric measurements and inflammation [124]. One study looked at the effects of 1.5 g of ginger on anthropometric measurements and insulin resistance in women with PCOS [83]. One study looked at the effect of 3 g/day on blood lipids in individuals with hyperlipidaemia [136].…”