Cinnamon is used in all kinds of recipes but did you know it can have positive health benefits for your body?
For centuries this spice has been used for medicine around the world dating as far back as ancient Egypt.
Check out these top 10 health benefits of cinnamon.
First, where does cinnamon come from?
Cinnamon is cultivated from the inside of bark from a certain species of trees called cinnamomum. The stems of the trees are cut off and then the bark inside is removed. These form the cinnamon sticks that curl as they dry. Then the bark is ground into powder if needed.
Though cinnamon is cheap and easy to find nowadays it was considered rare and gifted to rulers.
Cinammon comes as two different types, Ceylon or Cassia. health-benefits-of-cinnamon1
What part of cinnamon is responsible for the health benefits?
Cinnamaldehyde is found in the oily part of cinnamon which gives it the famous aroma. This part of cinnamon is thought to contribute to the main health benefits of cinnamon. health-benefits-of-cinnamon2
Cinnamon Is An Antioxidant Powerhouse
The polyphenol content in cinnamon is quite high. These antioxidants help protect the bodies cells from environmental stressers and free radicals inside the body which can lead to premature aging and certain diseases. health-benefits-of-cinnamon3
This high content of antioxidants has made cinnamon outrank even some of the most powerful superfoods on the list and can also be used as a food preservative. health-benefits-of-cinnamon4
Anti-inflammatorys can help mitigate this risk. Cinnamon has proven in studies to be a powerful and beneficial anti-inflammatory. health-benefits-of-cinnamon5
Cinnamon And Heart Disease
Heart disease is the worlds leading cause of death. Certain foods and spices like cinnamon may prove to reduce this risk and benefit your cardiovascular system. In studies cinnamon was able to reduce the LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) in the blood while at the same time increasing the levels of HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol). health-benefits-of-cinnamon6
Cinnamon may even be able to help reduce blood pressure which is another major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. health-benefits-of-cinnamon7
This trifecta benefit of cinnamon may help those at higher risk for developing cardiovascular disease.
Cinnamon And Insulin
Insulin is a hormone used by the body to move sugar in your blood to the bodys cells. When a resistance to this process forms it's known as type 2 diabetes. Luckily, cinnamon has shown an ability to reduce insulin resistance in certain individuals. health-benefits-of-cinnamon8
Cinnamon And Blood Sugar
When insulin resistance takes place the sugar in the blood builds as it is not being used by the body. As discussed earlier cinnamon can aid in reducing this resistance. On top of this cinnamon is able to lower the blood sugar in other ways as well.
Cinnamon has the capability prolonging the digestion process of carbohydrates in your gut after eating food. This then leads to the effect of lowering the amount of glucose in the blood after eating. health-benefits-of-cinnamon9
Cinnamon also can help the bodys cells use the glucose by having a minor insulin effect. Overall cinnamon can decrease the amount of sugar in the blood by up to 29%. health-benefits-of-cinnamon10
Cinnamon And The Brain
As you age the organs in your body start to deteriorate while losing their functions and the brain is no exception. This aging process leads to neurodegenerative diseases. Alzheimers is an example of this process.
Cinnamon has shown the ability to stop the accumulation of a protein in the brain that is associated with Alzheimers disease. health-benefits-of-cinnamon11
Cancer Prevention
Cinnamon has shown in studies that it can help decrease the uncontrollable growth of cancer cells. It does this by stopping the formation of blood vessels within the tumors as well as causing cancer cell death. health-benefits-of-cinnamon12
Infections
Cinnamon may be able to ward off certain infections like lung infections from fungi. Some bacteria growth like Salmonella may also be affected by cinnamon. Overall cinnamon seems to have a antimicrobial potential aiding the body in many different ways from fighting infections to fight bad breath. health-benefits-of-cinnamon13
Viruses
Cinnamon may be able to improve your immune system. This is helpful as certain viruses like HIV can bring down your bodys defenses. In a study cinnamon outperformed 69 other medicinal plants when it came to treating HIV. health-benefits-of-cinnamon14
Cinnamon Dangers
It is important not to overdo it with cinnamon as it contains certain compounds like coumarin that can be harmful in large quantities. Too much cinnamon can cause liver damage and other issues within the body. So if you think cinnamon can help you take modest amounts and always consult your doctor before starting to take anything.
Conclusion
Cinnamon is not only a great addition to recipes and drinks, but it has many health benefits. This spice outperforms many of the big superfoods and could help your body prevent certain diseases in the future.
Make sure to get high quality cinnamon from trustworthy sources. Ceylon cinnamon is more beneficial for the body as it contains less coumarin. So do your research and find the right cinnamon supplier for you! health-benefits-of-cinnamon15
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