7 Essential Cinnamon
Benefits and Uses
Infinitely more useful than just as a fragrant spice, cinnamon has been used by Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for literally thousands of years. I believe cinnamon is one of the healthiest herbs in the world along with turmeric, ginger and garlic.
Legend tells us that because of the powerful health benefits of cinnamon it had a value equal to gold.
Some of the biggest cinnamon benefits include balancing
blood sugar, killing candida, boosting energy, supporting weight loss and
improving skin health.
Also referred to by its scientific names, Cinnamomum verum
and Cinnamomum cassia, the history of cinnamon is actually quite intriguing.
Some of the earliest reports date cinnamon use to ancient Egypt around 4,000 B.C. as a perfuming agent during their sacred embalming process.
Also, cinnamon benefits are referenced 4x in the Bible being used in the sacred holy anointing oil and it was used to destroy plagues.
Cinnamon Nutrition Facts
When you look at cinnamon nutrition facts one of the first
things that will jump right out at you is it’s super high antioxidant
rating. The ORAC value of ground
cinnamon is 131,420, which ranks it #7 of all antioxidant foods in the world!
It is also rich in:
Vitamin K
Iron
Dietary Fiber
Calcium
Manganese
Because of this outstanding nutritional profile, cinnamon
benefits the body by healing digestive disorders, joint pain and menstrual
discomfort because of its high content of cinnamaldehyde (the natural
anti-inflammatory chemical that gives cinnamon its wonderful flavor and odor)
it’s known as one of the most nutrient dense in the world.
7 Researched Cinnamon
Benefits
1. Acne & Skin Infections
Widely considered to be a cure-all for countless illnesses,
a mixture of cinnamon oil and honey can be extremely effective at treating skin
conditions such as acne and skin infections because of its antimicrobial
capacity.
Just take 1 tsp of honey and 1 tsp of cinnamon (or 2 drops
cinnamon oil) and mix them together then rub on face. Leave on for 1 minute
then rinse off and in a few days you can see clearer skin.
2. Allergies
One of the most profound examples showing how cinnamon
benefits allergies is seen in a 2006 Egyptian study, which evaluated its
ability to keep house mites at bay.
These potent allergens have become a global menace and,
according to the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and
Environment, at least 45% of children with asthma are allergic to them!
When Egyptian researchers evaluated the ability various
essential oils had in killing the highly allergic house mite, they discovered
that cinnamon was #1.
3. Digestive Issues
Due to its antimicrobial characteristics, cinnamon has
helped millions of people all across the globe overcome bacterial overload in
their gut.
Several studies like a recent one out of Iran have even
described its powerful ability to control dangerous E. coli infections.
If you do have stomach cramps or upsets, a cup of Cinnamon
tea 2-3 times per day will dramatically
reduce the pain. Also, adding in
licorice root, ginger or chamomile are also great for gut issues.
4. Common Cold
Also because of its powerful antimicrobial properties, a
paper published in the American Journal of Chinese Medicine highlights that
cinnamon essential oil was found to be highly effective in controlling the
common cold.
Specifically, by slowing the growth of a number of bacteria
and fungus, the microorganisms that commonly cause the common cold are
regularly kept at bay by cinnamon supplementation.
A study published in the journal of Lab Medicine found that
cinnamaldehyde from cinnamon essential oil was effective against adenovirus
because it’s anti-viral properties.
5. Diabetes
Several studies have found that cinnamon can help increase
insulin sensitivity and improve diabetes. According to professor Paul David
from UC Davis, cinnamon has a 3-5% effect on balancing blood sugar levels which
is almost the equivalent of diabetes drugs.
Nutrition Research and Parmacognosy Research have recently
published reports suggesting that 1,500 mg of cinnamon supplementation can
greatly benefit the lipid profile, liver enzymes, insulin resistance, and
high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in diabetics and people with nonalcoholic
fatty liver disease patients (NAFLD).
The study is especially promising because NAFLD is the #1 cause of liver disease in the world.
6. Energy
According to various historical accounts, Chinese folk
medicine has used cinnamon to promote vital energy (Qi) and, because of its
insulin-boosting property, cinnamon has been known to give people sustained
energy and prevent crashing after carb-rich meals because it stabilizes your
blood sugar.
Drinking Cinnamon tea with tulsi or diffusing cinnamon
essential oil in the air with peppermint oil are both great ways to harness the
energy boosting benefits of cinnamon.
7. Candida and Yeast Infections
This past year, the Iran Journal of Medical Sciences
published a study, which evaluated 28 plant extracts against Gram-negative such
as E. coli; the main bacterial cause of urinary tract infections (UTIs).
The species Cinnamomum zeylanicum ranked as one of the top 4
most potent plants, which provides an explanation to why people who supplement
cinnamon into their diets generally suffer from less UTI’s than people who
don’t.
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