NATURTREU BLUTZUCKER in the check: what chromium, cinnamon and inositol can really do

Why this product is interesting to me

Of all the preparations I have come across on my path, this one carries the most direct name: BLUTZUCKER (blood sugar). Anyone who, like me, lives with a metabolic disease and is trying to reach remission without medication will prick up their ears at such a product name – in both the positive and the sceptical sense. That is exactly why I am looking particularly closely here.

Short profile

The ingredients – individually and honestly classified

This is the core of this article. A complex is only ever as good as its individual components, and the research here differs considerably.

Chromium

Chromium is the only ingredient with an authorised health claim under EU law: “Chromium contributes to the maintenance of normal blood glucose levels.” Precisely this sentence may be used by the manufacturer, and it is the reason the product may carry this name at all.

What matters is what this claim does not mean. It describes the maintenance of a normal blood glucose level as part of normal bodily function – it is not a statement about lowering elevated values, and certainly not a statement about diabetes. the research on chromium in disturbed glucose metabolism is heterogeneous: meta-analyses show at best small effects on fasting glucose and HbA1c, with considerable scatter between studies and indications that a benefit is most likely with an actual chromium deficiency . Chromium deficiency is rare with a normal mixed diet in Germany.

Ceylon cinnamon

The dosage is remarkable: 3,000 mg cinnamon equivalent per day. Cinnamon is the ingredient with the longest history of discussion around blood sugar. the research: several meta-analyses find small to moderate reductions in fasting glucose but inconsistent effects on HbA1c; the studies differ greatly in dose, cinnamon type and duration . Professional societies do not recommend cinnamon as part of therapy.

One point in favour of the formulation: Ceylon cinnamon is used, not cassia cinnamon. This is relevant because cassia cinnamon contains appreciable amounts of coumarin, which can damage the liver at higher doses; Ceylon cinnamon contains only traces. At a daily dose of 3,000 mg, cassia cinnamon would be a genuine problem – so the choice here is well founded.

Myo-inositol

Myo-inositol is involved in insulin signalling as a “second messenger”. The best research exists for PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), where inositol was able to improve insulin sensitivity in studies . Whether this transfers to men or to other forms of insulin resistance is far less well studied . For me as a man, this is the point where I explicitly leave transferability open.

Zinc

Zinc carries the authorised claim “contributes to normal macronutrient metabolism”. This too is a statement about normal metabolic function, not about lowering blood sugar. With a proven zinc deficiency, supplementation is sensible ; a blood-sugar effect beyond that in well-supplied people is not documented .

Olive leaf extract

Olive leaf (with its main compound oleuropein) is associated with favourable metabolic effects in cell culture and animal models. Human studies are few and small . For the formulation this is more of a supporting component than a load-bearing pillar.

What the asterisks mean

The packaging and communication carry superscript numbers and asterisks. This is neither coincidence nor a marketing trick but a legal requirement: under the EU Health Claims Regulation, only authorised statements may be used, and they must be assigned to the specific nutrient – here chromium and zinc. The botanical components (cinnamon, inositol, olive leaf) may carry no health claim at all, because their claims are “on hold” in the EU.

This is the most important insight for anyone wanting to assess such products: the product name carries the message that the ingredients are legally not allowed to carry. This is legal and common in the market – but you should know it.

My assessment for my own path

What I consider good about the formulation: Ceylon rather than cassia cinnamon, an honest one-capsule dosage, and the combination of two substances with a genuine claim (chromium, zinc) plus botanicals with a plausible study basis.

What I note soberly: no ingredient of this complex has research that comes anywhere near what weight reduction, dietary change and exercise achieve . The DiRECT trial showed that remission in type 2 diabetes is achievable through substantial weight loss – no supplement has comparable data. Anyone hoping for a shortcut will be disappointed.

For me the realistic classification is: a possible building block at the margin, not a lever. What really moves my CGM curve is carbohydrate quantity, exercise and weight.

Important safety notes

• Anyone taking blood-sugar-lowering medication should use such preparations only after medical consultation – theoretically additive effects are conceivable in combination.
• Chromium should not exceed the recommended daily dose; higher doses over long periods are not sufficiently studied.
• With liver disease, caution is warranted with any high-dose cinnamon intake, including Ceylon cinnamon.

My test plan (pending)

1. CGM observation over 4 weeks: fasting values and meal peaks before and during intake, same standard meals.
2. Honest limits: an unblinded n=1 trial cannot rule out placebo effects and everyday fluctuations. I will phrase accordingly cautiously.
3. Tolerability: gastrointestinal tolerance in everyday life, including around night call-outs.

Sources

1. EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 on nutrition and health claims; authorised claims for chromium and zinc (EU register).
2. Product information NATURTREU BLUTZUCKER: composition, dosage, Ceylon cinnamon 300 mg 10:1 extract (naturtreu.de, as of July 2026).
3. German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment: assessment of coumarin in cinnamon; difference between cassia and Ceylon cinnamon.
4. Meta-analyses on chromium supplementation and glucose metabolism; heterogeneous results, effects most likely with deficiency.
5. Meta-analyses on cinnamon and fasting glucose/HbA1c; small to moderate, inconsistent effects.
6. Studies on myo-inositol in PCOS and insulin sensitivity; limited transferability to other groups.
7. Lean MEJ et al.: DiRECT trial on remission in type 2 diabetes through weight management, The Lancet.