When you think of cinnamon what do you think of? Treats? Cookies? Perhaps you think of a cinnamon spiced drink. Middle eastern cuisine uses cinnamon to season lamb. It is a spice used all over the world for many different purposes. Here in Michigan we use cinnamon on our apples, in our apple cider or on our apples whole! I have also personally enjoyed adding cinnamon to my oatmeal. There are a lot of ways to enjoy this delicious spice.
We think of it mostly in treats or drinks, but it can be in cooking and for medicinal purposes as well.
5 Medicinal Benefits Of Cinnamon You Probably Haven’t Heard
1. It Repels The Bad Guys. Anti-bacterial, Anti-viral, Anti-fungal properties
Cinnamon a delicious warming spice that is frequently used in both Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine. is thought to have many medicinal and soothing properties, and is used frequently in Chinese herbal medicine for specific reasons. That very distinctive flavor and smell that you experience with cinnamon comes from an essential oil in the bark, called cinnamaldehyde. Cinnamaldehyde has anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. In other words, it keeps the bad bugs at bay. Lightening the load for your immune system.
2. Cinnamon Has Anti-Inflammatory Antioxidants
Cinnamon has copious amounts of polyphenol antioxidants. Different antioxidants do different things in the body. They can support the body by protecting the body from being in a pro-inflammatory state. Thankfully the antioxidant profile in cinnamon support the body in its anti-inflammatory pathways.
3. Cinnamon is a Prebiotic
Often overlooked by probiotics, prebiotics are beneficial fibers that condition the gut to produce healthy bacteria, aka probiotics. Cinnamon is a prebiotic that promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria and help suppress the growth of pathogenic bacteria.
Cinnamon is also contains a small amount of fiber which supports the digestive tract.
4. Cinnamon Lowers Blood Sugar Levels
Cinnamon is a smart spice! It works to lower blood sugar levels by reducing insulin resistance. Insulin is a hormone that your body produces in order to regulate blood sugar levels within the body. We want to be insulin sensitive. Insulin sensitivity simply means that the body recognizes that there is insulin and it can be used. Insulin resistance is the opposite. Insulin resistance means that the body is resisting using the insulin (even though its there) and this leads to an overproduction of insulin to try to get the body to accept it.
Cinnamon reduces insulin resistance therefore making insulin more sensitive (absorbable) in the body. This hormone helps to navigate and regulate blood sugar levels.
5. Cinnamon Soothes The Tummy As A Digestive Aid
Cinnamon is a beneficial digestive aid for many reasons. First, it is a prebiotic fiber which helps to clear the digestive tract. Many gastrointestinal conditions can benefit from cinnamon. Cinnamon oil is also used for flatulence as well as increasing blood flow to the gut, as a warming spice. Cinnamon also improves blood oxygen levels as it stimulates blood flow in it’s warming capacity. This helps oxygen move in your body and aid in all metabolic processes faster.
The verdict is clear, add some organic cinnamon to your life and diet today. Get 1 pound of organic ceylon cinnamon on amazon for 12 bucks here!
A Delicious Superfood Cinnamon Oatmeal Recipe from the Healthy Wild Free youtube channel:
Cinnamon is one of the 18 key ingredients in Radiate Immunity. A liquid capsule containing medicinal plants from Ayurvedic, Amazonian, Chinese and Native American medicine rolled into one capsule. It’s full of ORAC antioxidants, adaptogens and phytochemicals for respiratory health, immunity and collagen absorption for the gut and skin.
