(15-05-13) What you should know about cinnamon and how it can help you

by P. Simard

(NaturalNews) Cinnamon, which is generally an appreciated spice for its good
taste when added to certain foods, definitely seems to have much more going in
its favor than simply pleasing your taste buds. It's a potent anti-bacterial
and anti-fungal medicinal herb offering many advantages to the human body.

Cinnamon is from the lauracae family and its popular name is laurus
cinnamomum. We utilize the bark that grows in the evergreen trees which reach
20 to 30 feet on average and are located in remote areas such as Malabar,
Cochin-China, Sumatra and the Eastern Islands, amongst other places. Cinnamon
has been cultivated for a very long time and its therapeutic aid was no secret
to many ancient civilizations, going far back in time.

The bark's essential oils mainly have three active components which trigger
specific healing abilities. These active components are called cinnamaldehyde,
cinnamyl acetate and cinnamyl alcohol. These particular components directly
account for cinnamon's various health benefits, but more specifically, its anti-
clotting actions in the blood, its anti-microbial activity in the body and also
its stabilizing effect on blood sugar levels.

Cinnamon's assistance to certain health conditions
We know that the clumping of blood platelets is a normal process in order to
prevent continuous bleeding, but problems may arise if these platelets
excessively clump together. The cinnamaldehyde found in cinnamon prevents the
disproportionate clotting in the blood by restricting the delivery of an
inflammatory fatty acid from platelet membranes, named arachidonic acid.
Besides the anti-clotting action, the result of this chemical process shows
that cinnamon has the ability to reduce inflammation therefore it can also be
seen as an anti-inflammatory herb.

Cinnamon has shown to be a very potent anti-microbial spice. It has the
capacity to inhibit the formation and proliferation of bacteria, yeast, fungi
matter and mainly what is called candida albicans. Some tests have revealed
that in many cases, cinnamon was more efficient at halting the spread of yeast,
than the commonly used medical agent called fluconazole. Based on a study which
was published in the August 2003 paper of the International Journal of Food
Microbiology, there are valid reasons to believe that cinnamon may also be used
as a legitimate alternative to food preservatives. The study showed that only a
few drops of cinnamon's essential oils, added to around 3 ounces of carrot
broth, prevented the development of a pathogen called bacillus cereus for a
period of at least 60 days. In comparison, when the broth was left in a cold
environment but without adding cinnamon oils to it, the pathogens started
expanding.

Cinnamon's normalizing effect on blood sugar levels can help people with type
2 diabetes, as it enhances a positive response to insulin. A report presented
by the US Agricultural Research Service, showed that with as little as half a
teaspoon of cinnamon each day, participants in the study were able to show an
average reduction of 20% in their blood sugar levels. The moment cinnamon doses
stopped being administered on a daily basis, the sugar levels in their blood
raised immediately.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.herbsguide.net/cinnamon.html

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=68

http://www.asianonlinerecipes.com/herbs-health/cinnamon.php

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In evidenza

"L'informazione presente nel sito serve a migliorare, e non a sostituire, il rapporto medico-paziente."

Per coloro che hanno problemi di salute si consiglia di consultare sempre il proprio medico curante.