Superfoods -> Cinnamon

What could be more welcome and delicious than a warm mug of apple cider sprinkled with cinnamon or a cinnamony baked apple with crushed nuts on a cold winter day: cinnamon is welcome all year round, but its special scent is a particular treat in the winter months. It’s exciting to learn that cinnamon has actual health benefits,

Cinnamon, that delightful spice eliciting memories of Grandma’s kitchen and the comforts of home, is actually more than a delicious addition to foods. One of the oldest spices known and long used in traditional medicine, cinnamon is currently being studied for its beneficial effects on a variety of ailments. Indeed, recent findings on the power of cinnamon to promote health, in particular its benefits for people with type II diabetes have elevated it to the status of a Super Spice.

Cinnamon comes from the interior bark of evergreen trees that are native to Asia. The type we most commonly see in the supermarket is cassia cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia). Known as Chinese cinnamon, it has the sweetly spiced flavor we’re familiar with. Varieties of Chinese cinnamon come from China and northern Vietnam. There’s also Ceylon, or “true,” cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylancium), which is sweeter with a more complex, citrusy flavor. Both types of cinnamon are available in sticks (or “quills”) or ground.

Today, we’re in the process of learning about the power of cinnamon to affect health, and once you appreciate the special qualities of this mighty spice, I’m sure you’ll be eager to use it more frequently.

Perhaps the most exciting recent discovery concerning cinnamon is its effect on blood glucose levels as well as on triglyceride and cholesterol levels, all of which could benefit people suffering from type II diabetes. In one study of sixty patients with type II diabetes, it was found that after only forty days of taking about one half teaspoon of cinnamon daily, fasting serum glucose levels were lowered by 18 to 29 percent, triglycerides by 23 to 30 percent, low-density lipoproteins (LDL) by 7 to 27 percent, and total cholesterol by 12 to 26 percent. It’s not yet clear whether less than one half teaspoon a day would be effective. It’s particularly interesting that the effects of the cinnamon lasted for twenty days following the end of the study, leading to speculation that one wouldn’t have to eat cinnamon every day to enjoy its benefits. The cinnamon—and perhaps other spices and certainly many foods—that you’re eating today are affecting your health into the future. Cinnamon by its insulin-enhancing properties is not the only spice to show a positive effect on blood glucose levels. Cloves, bay leaves, and turmeric also show beneficial effects.

Try to buy organically grown cinnamon, as it is less likely to have been irradiated. We know that irradiating cinnamon may lead to a decrease in its vitamin C and carotenoid content.

In addition to being a glucose moderator, cinnamon is recognized as an antibacterial. The essential oils in cinnamon are able to stop the growth of bacteria as well as fungi, including the common yeast Candida. In one interesting study, a few drops of cinnamon essential oil in about 3 ounces of carrot broth inhibited the growth of bacteria for at least sixty days. By contrast, bacteria flourished in the broth with no cinnamon oil. Cinnamon has also been shown to be effective in fighting the E. coli bacterium.

A recent fascinating study found that just smelling cinnamon increased the subjects’ cognitive ability and actually functioned as a kind of “brain boost.” Future testing will reveal whether this power of cinnamon can be harnessed to prevent cognitive decline or sharpen cognitive performance. SOURCE ARTICLE HERE