What’s love got to do with cinnamon?

Who doesn’t love the taste of cinnamon? Nature got it right with this superfood and it has a long-standing reputation for its many health benefits.

Cinnamon is a spice made from the the inner bark of the cinnamon trees. When the bark dries, it forms into rolls widely recognized as cinnamon sticks.

There are two main types of Cinnamon:

Cylon cinnamon: “true” cinnamon, and a little more expensive
Cassia cinnamon: More commonly used as a spice and much cheaper

The unique properties of cinnamon mainly come from its essential oils and compounds, particularly cinnamaldehyde. Cinnamon is loaded with antioxidants such as polyphenols, and outranks other “superfoods” like garlic and oregano. Cinnamon can even be used as a natural food preservative.

1. Cinnamon can help lower your blood sugar

If you are insulin resistant, cinnamon can help to lower your blood sugar level by decreasing the amount of glucose in your bloodstream after you eat. Cinnamon also supports several digestive enzymes, and slows the breakdown of carbohydrates in your digestive tract. A a water-soluble polyphenol compound in cinnamon known as MHCP, actually mimics insulin. That means the glucose uptake in your cells is slower than insulin, which is a good thing.

Adding 1/2-2 TSP of cinnamon a day can help make noticeable changes in your blood sugar levels.

2. Cinnamon helps fight inflamation

The body uses inflammation to protect itself agains infection, illness and injury. However, chronic inflammation can lead to long-term damage and various diseases. There is scientific evidence that cinnamon, as well as other spices, can help fight inflammatory properties.

It’s important to note that while the powerful antioxidants in cinnamon can help as an anti-inflammatory, nothing is more powerful than eating a healthy diet, avoiding processed sugar and getting daily exercise. Check out my #sevenhealthhacks to learn how to incorporate small, manageable daily habits that will help get you on track.

3. Cinnamon May help reduce your risk of hearth disease

Bad “LDL” cholesterol, high blood pressure, and triglycerides are common factors of heart disease. A study by the American Heart Association (AHA) reported “45.4% of US deaths caused by heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) (cardiometabolic mortality) in 2012 were attributable to poor dietary habits.”

Another study conducted in 2013 found significant improvement in the levels of these factors on subjects taking cinnamon doses of 120 mg/d to 6 g/d for 4 to 18 weeks :

• Reduced the levels of glucose;

• Reduced the levels of total cholesterol, including bad “LDL” cholesterol;

• Increased good “HDC” cholesterol levels; and

• decreased triglycerides levels

4. Cinnamon may help protect against cancer

Cinnamaldehyde, the compound that gives cinnamon its distinctive flavor and smell, helps protect against exposure to the substance that causes cancer by removing it and helping to repair the cell. A study conducted on mice in 2015 concluded that adding cinnamaldehydeto their diet protected the mice against colorectal cancer.

The extensive uses of cinnamon in everyday consumption makes it an easy way to help arm your body against deadly cancer cells and possibly reduce your risk of developing the disease.

5.Cinnamon helps fight agains fungis and baceria

Cinnamon has been shown to effectively fight fungi in respiratory tract infections and slow the growth of certain bacteria such as Listeria and Salmonella. Studies have also shown that the essential oil from cinnamon can kill oral bacteria, including germs responsible for bad breath. Chewing a stick of cinnamon gum infused with the essential oil of cinnamon will help kill the microbes.

Falling for Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a spice that has been used for thousands of years and has been proven to provide a wide array of health benefits from lowering blood sugar levels to helping to fight cancer cells to keeping your breath fresh. Incorporating just 1/2-1 TSP of cinnamon to your daily diet can prove to result in amazing health benefits.

At LeJuicery we incorporate cinnamon into many of our eats and drinks daily. Check out our menu and try anyone of our amazing smoothies, juices, buddha bowls, and oatmeal dishes.