Benefits of Ceylon Cinnamon

Catuaba Bark

January 8, 2018

Chaga

January 12, 2018

Ceylon Cinnamon

The commonly known spice Cinnamon has been utilized by many cultures throughout the ages as far back as Ancient Egypt. It has been used as a seasoning for sweet and savory foods. However did you also know that there are different varieties of cinnamon? Ceylon Cinnamon, also known as Cinnamon Zeylanicum and Cinnamon cassia are the more common types of cinnamon that can be found in someones kitchen spice cabinet. Ceylon Cinnamon is also referred to as the "True Cinnamon".

However Ceylon Cinnamon has a quite distinctive taste, lighter in color and the shape is different. There are also many medicinal benefits by ingesting this type of cinnamon. Cinnamon is a spice that is made from the bark of a Cinnamomum Tree. When the bark dries it then form thin strips that begin to curl into a roll which are referred to as "Cinnamon Sticks". These sticks are then grounded and form Cinnamon powder which we all know and some of us love.

The smell of the cinnamon is distinct and is due to the oily part which has a compound named Cinnamaladehyde. Within this compound is what holds the powerful effects on our health and metabolism.

Cinnamon has been sought after and was regarded as an acceptable gift for Kings and Queens. However in this era we live in cinnamon is now inexpensive and can be found in every supermarket.

Consuming Cinnamon has been shown to reduce blood sugar, triglyceride levels and cholesterol. The mechanism within this spice is not known, however it is thought that the components may increase insulin receptor sensitivity which in turn can increase the ability for the body to remove glucose from our bloodstream and hold it within the tissues of our body. According to a magazine named "Eating Well", there is a recommended dose of 1/2 tsp of powdered cinnamon that can be mixed in water and consumed per day to begin witnessing these benefits.

Researchers have concluded that out of around twenty-six of the popular herbs and medicinal spices in the world, cinnamon ranks number 1 in terms of it's protective antioxidant levels. Researchers have also concluded that to obtain the benefits of cinnamon it can be utilized in the form of pure bark, essential oils, in powder form or in an extract because of the special phenolic compounds, flavonoids and antioxidants are isolated during this time. This is why cinnamon is one of the most beneficial spices.

Diabetes Treatment - Cinnamon has been utilized as an alternative to treat diabetes mellitus. In a case study Ceylon cinnamon raised the insulin levels within diabetic rats to nearly normal levels once more. (Article)

Improved insulin sensitivity- Ceylon Cinnamon reduces the insulin resistance in the body. This also can contribute to the metabolizing of the glucose in the liver according to a study. The recommended dose per day is 120mg. (Article)

Cancer-Fighting Enzymes - Ceylon cinnamon was part of a study that showed it enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity. This is to say that it has the ability to prevent or treat certain types of cancer in the body. (Article)

Blood pressure -Within all types of Cinnamon is a compound known as cinnamic acid. This also has anti-inflammatory effects. These same effects have a property that allows the blood flow to access the body much easier and readily, which places less strain on the heart. Research on Ceylon cinnamon has been traced back to 1975. The studies concluded that Ceylon cinnamon could assist with lowering blood pressure. (Article)

Brain food- Resesrch shows that memory and cognition can be improved after ingesting Ceylon cinnamon and has been shown to increase levels of a neuroprotective compound called “sodium benzoate” in rodent brains. (Article)

Superfood— in short Ceylon Cinnamon has a list of beneficial health effects such as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antilipemic, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, anticancer agent as well as alleviating respiratory and digestive ailments. (Article)

Preventing Metabolic Syndrome—Metabolic syndrome is a condition that includes insulin resistance and hyperglycemia, abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, dyslipidemia, lower levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) and hypertriglyceridemia. Ceylon cinnamon can be effective in reducing metabolic syndrome complications and its morbidity and mortality. (Article)

Alzheimer's Prevention - Cinnamon has been showing promising effects on improving how the brain responds to insulin. This shows that Ceylon cinnamon has a very useful neurological effect on Alzheimer's Disease. Cinnamon and in particular, cinnamaldehyde seem to be an effective and safe approaches for treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s doseass onset and/or progression thru neuroprotective effects interfering with multiple oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory pathways as well as modulating endothelial functions and attenuating the vascular cell adhesion molecules. (Article)

Powerful Antioxidant - There are many powerful antioxidants within cinnamon as a study compared this against 26 other spices and shows that cinnamon was a clear winner, even surpassing "superfoods" such as garlic and oregano! (Article)

Fights against Bacterial and Fungal Infections - A compound titled Cinnamaldehyde is a main active ingredient in cinnamon. This same compound has showed promising effects in fighting various kinds of infections. It has also been shown that Cinnamon oil was utilized to treat respiratory tract infections that were caused by fungi. It can also inhibit growth in certain bacteria's such as Listeria and Salmonella. (Article) (Article)

Assist in Fighting HIV Virus - HIV is a known virus that slowly breaks apart the immune system and allows for other types of infections to cause harm to the body much easier. This can also leads to AIDS if it is left untreated. Cinnamon which has been extracted from Cassia varieties is thought to assist the fight agaisnt HIV-1. (Article) (Article)

Rapid wound healing —Cinnamon extracts promote accelerated wound healing with more effective and faster wound contraction. (Article)