It is probably surprising to many Americans, but the citizens of many countries around the world don’t have access to medical doctors. There are no medical doctors who have access to high-tech equipment available. So through the centuries, people have turned to what they did have available to treat their ills — herbs and spices.

Western civilization has only recently come to recognize the value of herbs and spices in treating human disease. The idea is relatively new in America, but it has been in practice for more than 5,000 years in other parts of the world.

Take cinnamon, for instance. Cinnamon works in three ways to lower blood sugar: it stimulates insulin production, it increases the effectiveness of insulin receptors, and it slows the emptying of the stomach after eating. (When the stomach empties quickly after a meal, it causes a rapid rise in the blood sugar level. So slowing the stomach-emptying process can help Type 2 diabetics to control their blood sugar levels.)

This does not mean that you should rush right out and stock up on cinnamon buns. The amounts of sugar and fat in cinnamon buns will far outweigh any benefits that you derive from the cinnamon.

Cinnamon can be sprinkled on whole-grain cereal or whole-grain toast. You can add a touch of cinnamon to your coffee or tea. The idea is to include cinnamon without adding sugar and fat to your healthy diet.

A study of the effect of cinnamon on Type 2 diabetes was conducted in Pakistan. Two groups of Type 2 diabetics were included in the test. One group took 6-gram capsules of cinnamon after eating, and the other group took a placebo. The group that took the cinnamon had a 20% reduction in blood sugar levels, while the control group had no reduction at all. The group that took the cinnamon in the study, however, had their blood sugar levels began to creep up again as soon as the study was over and they stopped taking the cinnamon.