Mix honey and cinnamon, and include this combo in your daily diet to lose weight. That’s one of the liveliest weight loss trends.
But cinnamon does a lot more than just that. It has several other evidence-based health benefits you may not know.
If you are conscious about your health, you would definitely like to dig into how to use cinnamon to improve your health in a number of ways.
So, get ready to broaden your knowledge about the different types, benefits and uses of this spice, which is obtained from the inner bark of trees belonging to the genus Cinnamon.
Types of Cinnamon
The history of cinnamon goes back to the era of European explorers, and there are hundreds of types of this aromatic condiment.
But there are some varieties that have dominated the others due to their world-wide popularity and frequent use for commercial purposes.
Indonesian Cinnamon
Found in Indonesia, Cassia Cinnamon is quite well-known for its spicy flavour and smell. A larger population of North America uses this cinnamon because it is cheaper.
Saigon Cinnamon
This cinnamon has its origin in Vietnam. Over the last few years, Saigon Cinnamon has drawn a lot of attention due to its nice aroma and taste.
Compared to Cassia Cinnamon, this cinnamon is spicier and stronger. It is also more expensive.
Chinese Cinnamon
Though it belongs to the Cassia family, it’s quality is not quite at par with other cinnamon of the same family.
It is identified with its pungent smell whereas it is less sweet and a little bitter in taste. It is widely used in a number of Chinese medications.
Ceylon Cinnamon
It has strong smell, lighter color and much lower Coumarin content. For people who consume cinnamon on an everyday basis, Ceylon Cinnamon is a high recommend.
Benefits of Cinnamon
Due to its medicinal properties, cinnamon has found its use across cultures in different parts of the world. The benefits of this aromatic spice has been broadly known for thousands of years.
Serves as a Source of Antioxidants
Cinnamon is one of the top sources of antioxidants, which fight against aging. It has three types of antioxidants – polyphenols, phenolic acid and flavonoids.
These compounds function to free the human body of oxidative stress which can lead to a number of symptoms and diseases if left uncontrolled.
Keeps Heart Healthy
One of the most important benefits of cinnamon is that it keeps your health in good shape.
By including cinnamon in your daily diet, you can reduce the level of bad cholesterol and triglycerides in your body.
Cinnamon also boosts blood circulation.
Lowers Blood Sugar Levels
Use of cinnamon helps you prevent the risk of diabetes. It has an anti-diabetic effect which keeps the blood sugar level within the normal range.
People develop diabetes due to resistance to a hormone called insulin.
And cinnamon works to boost sensitivity to this hormone, thereby maintaining a good blood sugar level in the body.
Protects Brain Health
Being rich in antioxidants, cinnamon also proves to be good for the health of your brain.
If you plan to protect your brain from different types of neurological disorders (like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s), you should definitely include cinnamon in your diet.
Inhibits Cancer Risk
Cinnamon contains a compound called cinnamaldehyde, which prevents the growth of cancerous tumour.
In fact, it is so powerful that it promotes apoptosis, a process through which cancerous cells self-destroy themselves.
The anti-cancer effect of cinnamon is being examined on a deeper level for more benefits to humans.
Promotes Dental Health
Consumption of cinnamon is also proven to improve dental health.
Cinnamon extract prevents your mouth from conditions like bad breath, tooth decay, cavities etc.
If you are in search of a natural anti-bacterial mouth wash, cinnamon extract is the answer.
Boosts Skin Health
Cinnamon essential oil protects your skin against a number of infections.
When mixed with honey, it can help you get rid of common skin problems like acne and allergies.
Can Be Used as a Recipe Sweetener
When used in place of sugar, cinnamon can be a healthy addition to your meals.
You can use it to sweeten tea or coffee or anything where you usually add sugar.
In this way, you’ll usually cut down on the amount of extra sugar and calories.
When you’re looking to improve your physical and mental health and protect yourself from many diseases, cinnamon can be the answer to your prayers.
Just make sure you take it in small doses.
Uses of Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a power-packed spice. You can use it (particularly Cassia cinnamon) to solve a number of issues in the household.
Eliminate Odor
Take some water in a squirt bottle. Add a few drops of cinnamon essential oil and keep it as a room freshener.
Every time you smell an odor you want to eliminate, spray the mixture.
Get Rid of Ants
Ants have a distaste for cinnamon.
If your room has areas where ants gather frequently, all you need to do is sprinkle some amount of cinnamon there and you’ll have the problem solved.
Don’t forget to remove the cinnamon powder after it gets wet.
Make Decorative Wreaths
Many people use cinnamon sticks to create attractive wreathes for decoration.
If you like the idea, grab a wooden ring and attach cinnamon sticks to it using a hot glue gun.
When done, also attach a holiday ribbon to make it look graceful.
Cure Athlete’s Foot
Use cinnamon to prepare a foot soak for killing athlete’s foot fungus.
Boil some water and immerse a couple of cinnamon sticks into this water.
Soak your feet for 15-20 minutes every night.
Preserve Food
You don’t need to use artificial food preservative when you have a natural one.
Cinnamon has excellent anti-bacterial properties.
Use its extract to keep fruits and vegetables fresh at home.
Do you really think you could ask for more? Cinnamon is a blessing in disguise.
Head to your nearest food store and purchase some of it now.
Buy Ceylon cinnamon for a healthy addition to your diet.
If you buy Cassia Cinnamon instead, remember to use it in small amounts.
This post was last modified on June 17, 2019 10:21 AM