Cinnamon

One on the reasons i LOVE Cinnamon
WOW!! GOOD TO KNOW ~~~

Cinnamon is used in traditional medicine, and several studies have tested chemicals extracted from cinnamon for various possible medicinal effects.

Helps protect you from cancer:
In a study done by the USDA (United States Agricultural Department), it was found that cinnamon extract was a potent weapon against leukaemia and lymphomas. The study found that the extract worked by blocking the path of certain components that were important for the regeneration of the cell, inhabited the further multiplication of cancerous cells, and slowly reduced their spread. It also found that the higher the amount of extract the better the results. Remarkably, the extract only inhibited the growth of unhealthy cells and left the healthy cells untouched unlike conventional therapies like chemotherapy, etc.

Tip: Add cinnamon to your daily diet either by sprinkling it on your food or with honey.

Relieves arthritic pain:
Cinnamon is packed with a compound known as cinnamomum, which has very strong antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that make it a great home remedy for arthritic pain. Its natural heating mechanism provides added relief to aching joints. Read more about how exercise can help you to prevent arthritic pain.

Tip: Grind cinnamon into a fine paste with water and apply on the aching joints. You can place a soft muslin cloth on the paste to keep the paste wet for longer.

Helps in digestion:
Cinnamon is packed with mineral manganese, fibre, essential oils and calcium. The calcium and fibre combine with bile salts and help in their transport outside the body. The essential oils, help regulate the action of gastric juices on food, improves digestion, assimilation and its anti inflammatory properties helps reduce the inflammation caused due to indigestion, Irritable Bowel Syndrome and ulcers. Moreover the fibre content helps to relieve constipation and diarrhoea.

Tip: To relieve a stomach upset have cinnamon tea infused with mint leaves about two to three times a day.

Helps with weight loss:
Cinnamon has great digestive properties, it helps with weight loss by regulating the breakdown of carbohydrates and the production and use of insulin by the body. It also helps improve the digestion and assimilation of food within the body, helping one lose weight.

Tip: Drink cinnamon tea with a teaspoon of honey every day, half an hour before breakfast. Alternatively you could add cinnamon powder to your meal by sprinkling it on your salad, coffee or other foods.

Helps beat acne:
Cinnamon is a common spice and flavouring agent but the essential oil it contains also has strong anti-microbial properties. The water activity of honey is very low and this means that it does not contain a lot of moisture which can promote the growth of microorganisms. Considering that pimples often arise from an infection within the pores of the skin, combining cinnamon with honey is an effective remedy.

Tip: Crush a little cinnamon, and add a bit of honey to make it into a paste. Now apply it on the pimple and leave for a few minutes. You can leave it on overnight also for added benefit. Wash off the paste with warm water and watch that pimple vanish.

Helps cure a cold and cough:
Known for its antibiotic and body warming properties, cinnamon is a formidable remedy against a cold and cough. It not only helps to relieve the congestion commonly experienced with a cold, it is also great for a sore throat when combined with ginger, tulsi and honey.

Tip: Boil a small crushed piece of ginger, a few leaves of tulsi leaves, crushed black pepper in two cups of water. Cover the vessel with a lid and let the mixture boil at a low heat. When the solution has simmered for about ten minutes, strain the liquid, add a teaspoon of honey and drink. It should be warm. This solution will not only soothe an irritated throat, it will also clear up the blocked nasal passage and sinuses.

Beats heart disease and atherosclerosis:
Packed with fibre and calcium, cinnamon is great for the heart. Since the fibre and calcium and help transport bile salts outside the body, the body produces more bile salts for other bodily functions by breaking down cholesterol. This directly translates to lower cholesterol levels which protect the heart from blockages and the arteries from atherosclerosis..

Tip: Have a teaspoon of cinnamon powder everyday on an empty stomach. You can add honey or drink it with warm water.

Fights tooth decay:
Cinnamon oil is known for its antibacterial properties. It is essentially good for the teeth and gums. Cinnamon not only beats tooth decay but also helps prevent gingivitis and bad breath.

Tip: If you are suffering from bad breath, gargle with cinnamon infused water (cinnamon boiled in water). For toothache and gingivitis, chew on a small piece of cinnamon, to get some relief.

Anti-viral
In an experiment testing the effects of various plants used in traditional Indian medicine, an extract of Cinnamomum cassia had an effect on HIV-1. Another study found that eugenol, a chemical found in cinnamon essential oils, and in other plants, inhibited the replication of the virus causing herpes in vitro. The compound cinnzeylanine, from C. zeylanicum, also had antiviral properties in a model system using silkworm cells.

Diabetes
Two studies have shown that including cinnamon and cinnamon extract in the diet may help type 2 diabetics to control blood glucose levels. One study used C. cassia, while the other study used an extract (made from "Chinese Cinnamomum aromaticum", an older name for C. cassia). Apart from the most common flavanol (epi)catechin and (epi)afzelechin, cinnamon proanthocyanidins contain (epi)catechingallate and (epi)gallocatechin units. Furthermore, these proanthocyanidins are bioavailable and may have an effect on the target tissues. However a Cochrane review study published in 2012 found that cinnamon was not more effective than placebo in reducing glucose levels and glycosylated haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) (a long-term measurement of glucose control in diabetes). Authors concluded that "There is insufficient evidence to support the use of cinnamon for type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus".

Antioxidant
Pharmacological experiments suggest that dietary cinnamon-derived cinnamic aldehyde (cinnamaldehyde) activates the Nrf2-dependent antioxidant response in human epithelial colon cells and may therefore represent an experimental chemopreventive dietary factor targeting colorectal carcinogenesis. Recent research documents antimelanoma activity of cinnamic aldehyde observed in cell culture and a mouse model of human melanoma.

Alzheimer's disease
A 2011 study isolated a substance (CEppt) in the cinnamon plant that inhibits development of Alzheimer's disease in mice. CEppt, an extract of cinnamon bark, seems to treat a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

Adverse effects
The European Food Safety Authority in 2008 considered toxicity of coumarin, known to cause liver and kidney damage in high concentrations and a significant component of cinnamon, and metabolic effect on humans with CYP2A6 polymorphism, and confirmed a maximum recommended Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) of 0.1 mg of coumarin per kg of body weight. The European Union set a guideline for maximum coumarin content in foodstuffs of 50 mg per kg of dough in seasonal foods, and 15 mg per kg in everyday baked foods. These limits are low enough to affect the flavour of cinnamon pastries.