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Health Benefits of Cinnamon
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As my husband is a diabetic, the following information has been a great help.
The
use of Cinnamon as a spice and as a medicine dates back to 2000 BC.
There are two types of Cinnamon which are known to as Chinese Cinnamon
and Cylon Cinnamon. While they have a similar flavor, Ceylon
Cinnamon is a bit sweeter and is considered be of a more refined and
higher quality.
Just half a teaspoon of cinnamon a day
significantly reduces blood sugar levels in diabetics, a new study has
found. The effect, which can be produced even by soaking a cinnamon
stick your tea, could also benefit millions of non-diabetics who have blood sugar problem but are unaware of it.
The
discovery was initially made by accident, by Richard Anderson at the US
Department of Agriculture's Human Nutrition Research Center in
Beltsville, Maryland. |
"We were looking at the effects of
common foods on blood sugar; one was the American favorite, apple pie,
which is usually spiced with cinnamon. We expected it to be bad. But it
helped," he says.
The active ingredient in cinnamon turned out
to be a water-soluble polyphenol compound called MHCP. In test tube
experiments, MHCP mimics insulin, activates its receptor, and works
synergistically with insulin in cells.
To see if it would
work in people, Alam Khan, who was a postdoctoral fellow in Anderson's
lab, organized a study in Pakistan. Volunteers with Type 2 diabetes
were given one, three or six grams of cinnamon powder a day, in
capsules after meals.
All responded within weeks, with
blood sugar levels that were on average 20 per cent lower than a
control group. Some even achieved normal blood sugar levels. Tellingly,
blood sugar started creeping up again after the diabetics stopped
taking cinnamon.
In the volunteers, the Cinnamon also lowered
blood levels of fats and "bad" cholesterol, which are also partly
controlled by insulin. And in test tube experiments it neutralized free
radicals, damaging chemicals which are elevated in diabetics.
Cinnamon's
essential oils also qualify it as an "anti-microbial" food, and
cinnamon has been studied for its ability to help stop the growth of
bacteria as well as fungi, including the commonly problematic yeast
Candida.
In a study, published in the August 2003 issue of the
International Journal of Food Microbiology, the addition of just a few
drops of cinnamon essential oil to approximately 3 ounces of carrot
broth, which was then refrigerated, inhibited the growth of the food
borne pathogenic Bacillus cereus for at least 60 days. When the broth
was refrigerated without the addition of cinnamon oil, the pathogenic
B. cereus flourished despite the cold temperature. In addition,
researchers noted that the addition of cinnamon not only acted as an
effective preservative but improved the flavor of the broth.
Research
led by Dr. P. Zoladz and presented April 24, 2004, at the annual
meeting of the Association for Chemoreception Sciences, in Sarasota,
FL, found that chewing cinnamon flavored gum or just smelling cinnamon
enhanced study participants' cognitive processing. Specifically,
cinnamon improved participants' scores on attention related processes,
virtual recognition memory, working memory, and visual-motor speed
while working on a computer-based program.
(Hint: simmer a
few cinnamon sticks in water while your kids are doing their homework -
this will also serve as wonderful yet non-toxic air freshener for your
home)
In addition to the active components in its
essential oils and its nutrient composition, cinnamon has also been
valued in energy-based medical systems, such as Traditional Chinese
Medicine, for its warming qualities. In these traditions, cinnamon has
been used to provide relief when faced with the onset of a cold or flu,
especially when mixed in a tea with some fresh ginger.
Note
Added 1/12/07 - Someone contacted me and reminded me that Cinnamon is
also know for it's ability to regulate mentstrual flow in woman.
I also received a comment that excessive amounts of Cinnamon can be
toxic from someone, but no supporting evidence as to how much, if
anyone has such information, let me know. But taken in amounts
suggested, I would think all will be fine. Too much of anything
is generally not a good thing.
You
will find Ceylon Cinnamon used in many of your favorite Wholefood
Farmacy foods including Phi Plus, DetoxiPhi, Joule and
Cornaborealis.
Thank you to the Wholefood Farmacy for this interesting article, a source of delicious organic snacks.
$3 for Questions, Comments Always Free!
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