With obesity and type 2 diabetes more prevalent than ever in the U.S., any natural remedy for high blood sugar can provide welcome relief. Enter cinnamon – according to Natural News, the common spice can stimulate the body into processing glucose more efficiently.

The health news source stated that multiple clinical trials have demonstrated the moderate effect cinnamon has on blood sugar. A 2007 study published in the American Journal of Clinic Nutrition found that taking six grams of cinnamon powder with rice pudding significantly lowered after-dinner blood-glucose levels.

Other studies have had similar results. Another study from 2009 determined that cinnamon helped participants with type 2 diabetes lower their levels of hemoglobin A1C, an indicator of blood sugar levels.

Cinnamon also has antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties and high levels of calcium, copper, iodine, iron, phosphorus, zinc and vitamins A, B and C, the news source added.

The Mayo Clinic cites this study in an article theorizing that the spice may encourage the production of insulin, which may help people with type 2 diabetes regulate the glucose in their blood.

More than 23 million Americans have type 2 diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association.