Cinnamon Extract on Menstrual Cycles in PolyCystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2014-04-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
The primary purpose of this follow-up study is to determine if cinnamon can restore menstrual
cyclicity in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) subjects with oligomenorrhea. As a secondary
purpose, the investigators intend to confirm the salutatory effect of cinnamon on insulin
resistance in larger group of study subjects.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a very common condition found in women of childbearing
age. PCOS patients often have irregular periods, extra hair growth, or difficulty becoming
pregnant. The syndrome can also be associated with more serious conditions such as heart
disease, diabetes, or cancer of the uterus. Although no one knows the cause of the syndrome,
scientific studies showed that having too much insulin can be one of the reasons. In fact,
almost every overweight woman with PCOS has been found to have high insulin levels.
Recently studies using rats and mice have shown that a commonly used spice, cinnamon, may
also reduce the body's insulin level. Another study showed that daily use of cinnamon for
forty days lowered the blood sugar level in patients with diabetes. Our own study also showed
that using cinnamon everyday for 8 weeks decreased insulin resistance in women with PCOS. The
purpose of this study is to see if cinnamon can help women with PCOS have more regular
periods.