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Cinnamon as Health Food

The chatty coffee-shop employee's comment confused me. I had paused at the condiment station to add a sprinkle of cinnamon* to my cappuccino, and he was wiping down the counter in front of me. "Ah, yes, for your eyes?" he asked, gesturing at the cinnamon shaker... As a bit of Googling revealed, he's not the only one who believes in cinnamon as a health product. It's sold in many nutritional supplements and homeopathic remedies, marketed with claims that range from boosting metabolism to controlling blood sugar to, yes, enhancing vision. I don't see (pardon the pun) hard evidence for most of those claims, but a 2006 German study reported that cinnamon could help stabilize insulin levels for people…

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 Cinnamon Can Spice Up Your Diet, and Your Wellness Routine

The benefits of cinnamon include better digestion, lower blood pressure, and more delicious desserts. Cinnamon smells inviting—and it turns out, that's because it's welcoming you to partake in some serious bodily benefits. Derived from trees belonging to the Cinnamomum genus, cinnamon bark contains potassium, manganese, and calcium, along with protective polyphenols, or plant compounds with antioxidant properties. “It has been used for centuries for its various health benefits and aromatic properties,” notes Juhi Singh, CEO and founder of The Juhi Ash Center. To wit, cinnamon features in ancient medicinal traditions like Ayurveda, traditional Chinese medicine, and more.

 Is Cinnamon Healthy? Types, Health Benefits, and Possible Risks Explained

This ancient spice has been prized for millennia, not just for its delightful flavor but also for its impressive health benefits. But there’s more to this popular spice than meets the eye. Ancient Egyptians used cinnamon as part of their mummification process, thanks to its natural preservative properties. Romans deployed it to cover the odor of rotting meat (which I guess is kind of the same thing). Upper classes around the world prized the spice for its sharp scent and exotic taste — paying as much as a year’s wages for a single pound, according to Roman writer Pliny the Elder (I wonder if they called him that when he was little — that would be weird!).

Articles of Interest

The world of cinnamon: Ceylon vs. cassia

An important difference between the two types of cinnamon is the coumarin content. Coumarin is a natural flavoring agent that can cause liver damage in high doses. Ceylon cinnamon contains only very small amounts of coumarin, whereas cassia cinnamon contains significantly more.

Cinnamon and health

However, there are only very few well-controlled clinical studies, a fact that limits the conclusions that can be made about the potential health benefits of cinnamon for free-living humans. The use of cinnamon as an adjunct to the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus is the most promising area, but further research is needed before definitive recommendations can be made.

Cinnamon as a Useful Preventive Substance for the Care of Human and Plant Health

Cinnamon is widely used as a food spice, but due to its antibacterial and pharmacological properties, it can also be used in processing, medicine and agriculture. The word “Cinnamon” can refer to the plant, processed material, or an extract. It is sometimes used as a substance, and sometimes used as a mixture or as compounds or a group.

Cinnamon Can Help Lower Blood Sugar, But One Variety May Be Best

What's not well understood is exactly how much cinnamon is optimal, and whether the effect is transient. It's hard to tell from the studies whether it leads to a significant, long-term reduction in blood sugar. For people who already have diabetes, cinnamon is not an alternative to medication. But for people with pre-diabetes who are interested in using diet to manage their blood sugar, it's one of many strategies worth considering, says diabetes educator Emmy Suhl of the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. So if you're a cinnamon lover and your goal is to increase your daily intake, using Ceylon cinnamon can reduce the risk of consuming too much coumarin.

Cinnamon Has a Surprising Health Benefit

If you love cinnamon, add an extra shake to your next meal: new research shows that the popular spice boosts metabolism in mouse and human fat cells. In the new study, published in the journal Metabolism, researchers from the University of Michigan tested the effect of cinnamaldehyde—the essential oil that gives cinnamon its flavor—on fat cells taken from mice, as well as fat cells from four humans.

Cinnamon’s Benefits Will Surprise You

“Cinnamon has been used for centuries for its various health benefits and aromatic properties,” notes Juhi Singh, CEO and founder of The Juhi Ash Center. To wit, cinnamon features in ancient medicinal traditions like Ayurveda, traditional Chinese medicine, and more. “Cinnamon has been used in food preparations and in traditional medicine by the Egyptians and the Chinese since ancient times,” states a recent scientific overview, going on to note that “the bark of cinnamon has been used as an herbal remedy for the treatment of common colds, cardiovascular diseases, and chronic gastrointestinal and gynecological disorders…

Elevated Lead Levels Found in One-Third of Cinnamon Samples

Consumer Reports found lead in a variety of products, at a time when federal regulators are seeking authority from Congress to combat the problem of heavy metals in foods.

From Cinnamon to Nutmeg: The Health Benefits of Holiday Spices

Research suggests that cinnamon may play a role in keeping blood sugar levels stable, reducing inflammation, and fighting off bacteria, although more research is needed. hile Cinnamomum verum is sometimes considered to be "true cinnamon," most cinnamon in international commerce is derived from related species, which are also referred to as "cassia" to distinguish them from true cinnamon.

Is cinnamon good for you? How to tap into the health benefits

The same fragrant spice that you sprinkle over your hot cocoa may also offer up a major health boost. Like turmeric and other spices, cinnamon has been used for centuries in traditional medicine. Ground cinnamon is made from the bark of several varieties of trees from the genus Cinnamomum.

Is TikTok right? Can adding a teaspoon of cinnamon to your coffee help you burn fat?

Cinnamon has been long used around the world in both sweet and savoury dishes and drinks. But a new TikTok trend claims adding a teaspoon of cinnamon to your daily coffee (and some cocoa to make it more palatable) for one week can help you burn fat. Is there any truth to this?

Lead in cinnamon: Where do things stand, 1 year after a scary recall?

The agency believes the lead chromate was purposefully used as a color additive and categorizes it as a likely act of economically motivated adulteration, or EMA. In paints and artists' materials, lead chromate is known as "chrome yellow." In the past, it's been fraudulently added to spices to make their color more vivid so they look more fresh and flavorful. "We're aware of this practice in turmeric, where lead chromate has been added to enhance the color," Laura Shumow, executive director of the American Spice Trade Association, tells NPR. But until last fall, her trade group had never heard of the pigment turning up in cinnamon, she says.

What Is Cinnamon Good For? 9 Uses You Didn’t Know About

There are two main types: Ceylon and Cassia cinnamon. Cassia is more affordable and popular than Ceylon, but Ceylon is safer in larger quantities. Although research shows cinnamon positively influences many health conditions, more research is necessary.

When Is Cinnamon Spice Not So Nice? The Great Danish Debate

Too much cinnamon? Yes, there is such a thing. Actually, the concern here is coumarin, a naturally occurring ingredient found in Cassia cinnamon, the most common variety of the spice sold in Europe and the U.S. In high-enough doses, coumarin can cause liver damage in a small group of sensitive individuals. Back in 2008, the European Union set a limit for how much naturally occurring coumarin foods can contain: between 5 and 50 milligrams per kilogram of food, depending on the product (holiday goodies get a bit of a free pass).

Why cinnamon is good for you

Cinnamon is a truly global spice that appears to combat a truly global ailment – high blood pressure.

Why Cinnamon Is Insanely Good for You

Scientists have long suspected that cinnamon can help prevent blood-sugar spikes and protect against insulin resistance, a risk factor for diabetes. But how, exactly, has remained a mystery—and while some studies have suggested a strong effect, others have been inconclusive. New research presented Saturday at the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology annual meeting suggests a potential mechanism for these effects, lending support to the idea of cinnamon as a metabolic powerhouse. In fact, researchers say, the spice’s benefits may extend far beyond blood-sugar control.

Why Cinnamon Should Be a Staple in Your Shopping Cart!

We often don't think of herbs and spices as food but they are and many of them contain healthful antioxidants and phytochemicals just like fruits and vegetables do. One of my favorite spices is cinnamon. I use it on a variety of foods and I love that the smell of cinnamon is everywhere during the holiday season!

Resources

5 Amazing Health Benefits of Cinnamon

While I’ve always been a fan of its flavor and aroma, as a nutritionist, I’m also thrilled to spread the news about cinnamon’s health benefits. For example, one teaspoon of cinnamon packs as much antioxidant potency as a half cup of blueberries, and cinnamon’s natural antimicrobial properties have been shown to fight strains of E. coli, as well as Candida yeast. Also, while technically not sweet, “sweet spices” like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger have been shown to boost satiety and mimic sweetness, which allows you to cut back on sugar in nearly anything, from your morning cup of joe to a batch of homemade muffins.

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health

The bark, leaves, flowers, fruits, and roots of cinnamon have a long history of use in traditional medicine and cuisine in many parts of the world, including China, India, and Persia (Iran). Cinnamon was thought to help people with inflammation, nerve pain, heart disease, cough, and other conditions. Today, cinnamon products are promoted as a dietary supplement for diabetes and weight loss. Ceylon cinnamon is promoted for allergic rhinitis (hay fever). Cassia cinnamon is promoted for topical use (application to the skin) as a mosquito repellent.

The 12 Cinnamon Powders You Should Never Use

Consumer Reports found high lead levels in a third of the cinnamon powders and spice mixtures we tested. Here are the ones that pose the most and least risk.