Cinnamon is one of the most important spices used daily all over the world. It contains vital oils and other derivatives that give it an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anticancer, and other capacities. Cinnamon also has many activities against neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. Traditionally, ancient people used it for medicinal and health reasons, and recently, science proved some of the many benefits of cinnamon.
The traditional uses of cinnamon:
Traditionally, people used cinnamon for a variety of purposes. They used it in cooking as a spice and flavoring agent, and in chewing gums due to its refreshing effect and ability to remove bad breath. In addition, people have used cinnamon for different medicinal and health reasons:
- To improve the health of the colon and reduce the risk of colon cancer
- As a coagulant and prevent bleeding
- To increase blood circulation to the uterus, especially in menstruation
- As antimicrobial, anti-fungal, antioxidant and anti-diabetic activities
- As a tooth powder and to treat toothaches and dental problems, oral bacteria and bad breath
Recently, studies have proved the following benefits of cinnamon:
- Strong antioxidant power: It contains large amounts of highly potent antioxidants
- Anti-inflammatory effects that help lower the risk of disease
- Protective effect against neurological disorders like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. It contains molecules that can be incorporated in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease
- Anti-diabetic activity: It helps in controlling the blood glucose level and enhance insulin secretion. Therefore, it has an anti-diabetic activity at doses of 1-6 grams per day (½ – 2 teaspoons)
- Cinnamon is a natural antimicrobial agent against different bacteria
- Anticancer: It has the potential to be an anticancer agent due to the anti-tumor and the growth inhibitory properties of its constituents
- Protective against heart and vascular disease: Compounds present in cinnamon give it a potential to be used to treat cardiovascular diseases. It can also help in the prevention of vascular diseases and atherosclerosis
- Improves the lipid profile: The administration of cinnamon positively affected the lipid profile in studies done on mice. Moreover, studies done on humans reported the ability of cinnamon to lower total cholesterol and triglycerides levels, protecting against vascular diseases
Conclusion
Cinnamon is one of the most delicious and healthiest spices on the planet. It doesn’t only taste amazing, but also it provides a wide range of health benefits and protects against cancer, diabetes, heart and neurological diseases.