Health Benefit Of Cinnamon..It Just Could Be The Spice Of Life!
It tastes just fabulous but does any one really know the real health benefit of cinnamon?
Ok..before I start don't run for the calorie-laden cinnamon buns or muffins and indulge yourself...sorry! Gaining weight would be worse for your health than not eating cinnamon.
Yes, the health benefit of cinnamon is plenty.
First...what is cinnamon?
Well cinnamon is a small evergreen tree 10-15 m tall, which belongs to the family Lauraceae and is native to Sri Lanka and Southern India. The bark is widely used as a spice.
The cinnamon from Sri Lanka is regarded as the finest quality. It has a highly fragrant odour, and a very sweet, warm and pleasing aromatic taste.
Cinnamon is widely used in cookery as a condiment and in flavouring too. To name some preparations such as...
- Desserts
- Chocolate and Spicy Candys
- Liqueurs
In the States it is much loved. Cinnamon and sugar are used in cereals, bread-based dishes, and fruits...especially apple...to flavour them.
I think a lot of you will agree that some foods such as chocolate-cinnamon toast are just the ultimate comfort foods!
Ok...enough yummy stuff. Serious stuff now, the real health benefit of cinnamon...ready 3,2,1....
Where do antioxidants fit in? Well...cinnamon is a powerful antioxidant...in fact so powerful an antioxidant that, when compared to six other antioxidant spices....
- Anise
- Ginger
- Licorice
- Mint
- Nutmeg
- Vanilla
....and certain chemical food preservatives BHA, BHT, and propyl gallate, cinnamon prevented oxidation more effectively than all the other spices (except mint) and the chemical antioxidants.
The essential oil of cinnamon has antimicrobial properties...allowing it to be used to extend the shelf life of foods.
Sidebar: An antimicrobial is a substance that kills or inhibitsthe growth of microbes such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, or parasites.
Diabetic? It could be good news...it is believed that cinnamon "does much the same thing as insulin" biochemically in your body.
Although research is still in the early stages, doctors and researchers are getting quite excited about the diabetes and cholesterol-fighting potential of cinnamon.
Cinnamon has an active ingredient in it called proanthocyanidin and it basically allows the bodys cells to use energy from sugar.
In type 2 diabetics the problem is that insulin no longer does a good job of escorting sugar into cells. So cinnamon can really help here...but you need to monitor your blood sugar carefully if you have type 2 diabetes because the spice may intensify the effects of insulin medication. Don't throw away any insulin vials or anti-cholesterol drugs in favor of these natural compounds...so as always, talk to a doctor first.
Sidebar: Cinnamon is not to be taken in high doses. It is believed to be toxic, but no one really knows how 'high doses' can be measured.
So be cautious here and also don't substitute cinnamon for prescription medication whose benefits are well established.
Brain Function
Gets A Boost From Cinnamon!
Well you have discovered the health benefit of cinnamon...but did you know that by just smelling the wonderful odor of this sweet spice boosts brain activity?
Make sure you have some of this spice in your kitchen cupboards...or maybe even the medicine cupboard too!
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