Health Benefits of Cinnamon

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What is Cinnamon?

Latin names: Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Cinnamomum cassia

 

Cinnamon is a small tree that grows in India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Brazil,

Vietnam, and Egypt.

 

It's one of the oldest known spices. To prepare it, the bark of the cinnamon

tree is dried and rolled into cinnamon sticks, also called quills.

 

Cinnamon can also be dried and ground into a powder. The

characteristic flavor and aroma of cinnamon comes from a compound in

the essential oil of the bark called cinnamonaldehyde. Although there are four

main varieties of cinnamon, Ceylon cinnamon and Cassia cinnamon are the most

popular.

 

Ceylon cinnamon is sometimes called true cinnamon. It is more expensive and has

a sweet taste. The quills are softer and can be easily ground in a coffee

grinder.

 

Most cinnamon sold in supermarkets in North America comes from the less

expensive variety, Cassia cinnamon. It has a darker color and the quills are

harder. Unlike Ceylon cinnamon, it can't be easily ground into a powder using a

coffee grinder.

 

Why do People Use Cinnamon?

 

Besides using it in cooking, cinnamon is also thought to have health benefits.

In traditional Chinese medicine, Cassia cinnamon is used for colds, flatulence,

nausea, diarrhea, and painful menstrual periods. It's also believed to improve

energy, vitality, and circulation and be particularly useful for people who tend

to feel hot in their upper body but have cold feet.

 

In Ayurveda, cinnamon is used as a remedy for diabetes, indigestion, and colds,

and it is often recommended for people with the kapha Ayurvedic type. It's a

common ingredient in chai tea, and it is believed to improve the digestion of

fruit, milk and other dairy products.

 

What is the Scientific Evidence for Cinnamon's Health Benefits?

 

Recent studies have found that cinnamon may have a beneficial effect on blood

sugar. One of the first human studies was published in 2003 in a medical

journal called Diabetes Care.

 

Sixty people with type 2 diabetes took 1, 3, or 6 grams of cinnamon in

pill form daily, an amount roughly equivalent to one quarter of a

teaspoon to 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. After 40 days, all 3 amounts of cinnamon

reduced fasting blood glucose by 18 to 29%, triglycerides by 23 to 30%, LDL

cholesterol by 7 to 27%, and total cholesterol by 12 to 26%.

 

Preliminary lab and animal studies have foundthat cinnamon may have

antibacterial and antifungal properties. It's active against Candida albicans,

the fungus that causes yeast infections and thrush, and Helicobacter pylori, the

bacteria responsible for stomach ulcers.

 

Safety

 

People taking diabetes medication or any medication that affects blood glucose

or insulin levels shouldn't take therapeutic doses of cinnamon unless they're

under a doctor's supervision.

 

Taking them together may have an additive effect and cause blood glucose levels

to dip too low. Also, people who have been prescribed medication to manage their

blood sugar should not reduce or discontinue their dose and take cinnamon

instead, especially without speaking with a doctor. Improperly treated diabetes

can lead to serious complications, such as heart disease, stroke, kidney

disease, and nerve damage.

 

Cassia cinnamon, the kind of cinnamon normally found in grocery stores and in

supplement form, naturally contains a compound called coumarin. Coumarin is also

found in other plants such as celery, chamomile, sweet clover, and parsley. At

high levels, coumarin can damage the liver. Coumarin can also have a

" blood-thinning " effect, so cassia cinnamon supplements shouldn't be taken with

prescription anti-clotting medication, such as Coumadin (warfarin), or by people

with bleeding disorders.

 

Cinnamon can also be found in a concentrated oil form that comes from cinnamon

bark. Some of these products are not intended for consumption, but instead are

used for aromatherapy essential oils. Also, the oil is highly potent and an

overdose can depress the central nervous system.

 

People should not take the oil to treat a condition unless under the

close supervision of a qualified health professional. Pregnant women should

avoid excessive amounts of cinnamon and shouldn't take it as a supplement.

 

Cinnamon and Diabetes - Is Cinnamon a Proven Diabetes Remedy?

 

There has been some preliminary research on the effect of cinnamon on blood

sugar in humans, but the studies have been small and the findings need to be

confirmed with larger trials. One of the first human studies was published in

2003 in the journal Diabetes Care.

 

Sixty people with type 2 diabetes took 1, 3, or 6 grams of cinnamon in

pill form daily -- an amount roughly equivalent to one quarter of a

teaspoon to one teaspoon of cinnamon. After 40 days, all 3 amounts of cinnamon

reduced fasting blood glucose by 18 to 29%, triglycerides by 23 to 30%, LDL

cholesterol (bad cholesterol) by 7 to 27%, and total cholesterol by 12 to 26%.

 

There are concerns with this study, however, because a couple of findings were

atypical. For example, there was no difference in benefit between the 3 doses of

cinnamon. Also, people who take a placebo normally show improvement, but that

wasn't the case with this study.

 

Another study looked at the effect of cinnamon on 79 people with type 2 diabetes

who weren't on insulin therapy but were taking oral

anti-diabetic medications or modifying their diet. They took

approximately 3 grams of cinnamon or a placebo 3 times a day for 4

months. There was a significant reduction in blood glucose in the people taking

cinnamon compared to people taking the placebo. Surprisingly, there was no

difference in glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1C) levels, a test that measures how

well blood sugar has been controlled during the previous 3 to 4 months.

 

In a 6 week study involving 25 postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes, women

were given 1.5 grams of cinnamon daily or a placebo. There was no effect on

blood sugar, insulin sensitivity, or cholesterol levels.

 

A very small Swedish study published in the American Journal of Clinical

Nutrition looked at the effect of cinnamon on 14 people. People were given

either rice pudding alone or rice pudding with cinnamon. The researchers found

that the added cinnamon lowered the post-meal rise in blood glucose compared to

people who didn't consume cinnamon.

 

Using cinnamon in cooking or having a cup of cinnamon tea is a great way to add

more of this delicious spice into your diet. There are some

precautions to be aware of when using cinnamon, though. Taking cinnamon in large

amounts or taking it in supplement form may change the dosage of medication you

require. Also, people who have been prescribed medication to manage their

blood sugar should not reduce or discontinue their dose and take cinnamon

instead, especially without speaking with a doctor.