The smell of cinnamon in the air can warm both the heart and home with its sweet aroma. Whether baking with it or adding a simple sprinkle, the tasty addition of this simple spice can take your dish to the next level. Do we know where it comes from or what the benefits of cinnamon really are though? Let’s take a look at some of the reasons we need to spice up our lives a little more with this powerful natural remedy.
Where does cinnamon come from?
Cinnamon is harvested from the inner barks of the Cinnamomum tree and the peels form small curls, or sticks, which we use most commonly in our warm frothy beverages in winter time. The other way that we usually see cinnamon is in its powdered form, which is basically just the ground harvested sticks.
What are the health benefits of cinnamon?
- Cinnamaldehyde is the compound most responsible for the excellent health benefits of cinnamon
- High levels of antioxidants
- Decreases inflammation in the body
- May lower risk of heart disease
- Lowers blood sugar
- Decreases risk of diabetes
- May protect against cancer
- Treats anti-fungal and antibacterial infection
Although the benefits of cinnamon as a natural remedy are well researched, only one cinnamon variety provides benefits – the Ceylon variety. Generic cinnamon found in most supermarkets is of the other variety – cassia, which is not as beneficial to the body as Ceylon cinnamon and can even cause some harm if taken in large doses.
So make sure you get the right variety of true real cinnamon and then sprinkle, stir, shake or bake till your heart is content.
Buy the best cinnamon here.
References:
Cinnamon: A Multifaceted Medicinal Plant https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4003790/
Cinnamon: Mystic powers of a minute ingredient https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4466762/
Beneficial Effects of Cinnamon on the Metabolic Syndrome, Inflammation, and Pain, and Mechanisms Underlying These Effects – A Review https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3943007/
Cinnamon effects on metabolic syndrome: a review based on its mechanisms https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5220230/
Cinnamon Extract Reduces Symptoms, Inflammatory Mediators and Mast Cell Markers in Murine IL-10(-/-) Colitis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27012624/
Anti-inflammatory Activity of Cinnamon (C. Zeylanicum and C. Cassia) Extracts - Identification of E-cinnamaldehyde and O-Methoxy Cinnamaldehyde as the Most Potent Bioactive Compounds https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25629927/
Effects of cinnamon supplementation on expression of systemic inflammation factors, NF-kB and Sirtuin-1 (SIRT1) in type 2 diabetes: a randomized, double blind, and controlled clinical trial https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6942286/
Antiinflammatory Activity of Cinnamon (Cinnamomum Zeylanicum) Bark Essential Oil in a Human Skin Disease Model https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28444928/
Medicinal properties of ‘true’ cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum): a systematic review https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3854496/
Cinnamon and Health https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20924865/
Anti-inflammatory Activity of Cinnamon Water Extract in Vivo and in Vitro LPS-induced Models https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23190501/
Health Benefits of Ceylon Cinnamon (Cinnamomum Zeylanicum): A Summary of the Current Evidence https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27031971/