Health Benefits of Cinnamon
Cinnamon has a long history both as a spice and as a medicine. Cinnamon has the ability to lower LDL cholesterol, treat type 2 diabetes. Cinnamon is the brown bark of the cinnamon tree, which when dried, rolls into a tubular form known as a quill. Cinnamon is available in either its whole quill form (cinnamon sticks) or as ground powder.The fragrant, sweet and warm taste of cinnamon is a perfect spice to use during the winter months.
Nutrients & Properties:
It is a great source of manganese, fiber, iron, and calcium.
Cinnamon’s unique healing abilities come from three basic types of components in the essential oils found in its bark. These oils contain active components called cinnamaldehyde, cinnamyl acetate, and cinnamyl alcohol, plus a wide range of other volatile substances.
1. Lower LDL Cholesterol
The cinnaldehyde in cinnamon helps prevent unwanted clumping of blood platelets. Research found that 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon per day can lower LDL cholesterol as it has an anti-clotting effect on the blood. Cinnamon’s ability to lower the release of arachidonic acid from cell membranes also puts it in the category of an “anti-inflammatory” food that can be helpful in lessening inflammation.
2. Utilize blood sugar
Cinnamon may have a regulatory effect on blood sugar, making it especially beneficial for people with Type 2 diabetes. Seasoning a high carb food with cinnamon can help lessen its impact on your blood sugar levels. Cinnamon slows the rate at which the stomach empties after meals, reducing the rise in blood sugar after eating. Cinnamon may also significantly help people with type 2 diabetes improve their ability to respond to insulin, thus normalizing their blood sugar levels.
Adding cinnamon to the rice pudding lowered the gastric emptying rate from 37% to 34.5% and significantly lessened the rise in blood sugar levels after eating.
3. An alternative to traditional food preservatives
When added to food, it inhibits bacterial growth and food spoilage, making it a natural food preservative. It has the ability to help stop the growth of bacteria as well as fungi, including the commonly problematic yeast Candida.
Cinnamon also has the ability to stop medication-resistant yeast infections.
4. Boost Brain
Smelling cinnamon boosts cognitive function and memory. Chewing cinnamon flavored gum or just smelling cinnamon enhanced study participants’ cognitive processing. Specifically, cinnamon improved participants’ scores on tasks related to attentional processes, virtual recognition memory, working memory, and visual-motor speed while working on a computer-based program
5. Improve Colon Health and Protect Against Heart Disease
The combination of calcium and fiber in cinnamon is important and can be helpful for the prevention of several different conditions. Both calcium and fiber can bind to bile salts and help remove them from the body. By removing bile, fiber helps to prevent the damage that certain bile salts can cause to colon cells, thereby reducing the risk of colon cancer.
A study showed that cinnamon reduced the proliferation of leukemia and lymphoma cancer cells.
When bile is removed by fiber, the body must break down cholesterol in order to make new bile. This process can help to lower high cholesterol levels, which can be helpful in preventing atherosclerosis and heart disease. For sufferers of irritable bowel syndrome, the fiber in cinnamon may also provide relief from constipation or diarrhea.
