Alternative Health Benefits of Cinnamon
Cinnamon has been revered throughout recorded history. Actually, cinnamon was so highly regarded among the early nations that it was thought of as a suitable gift for the greatest of rulers, kings and queens.
An Antioxidant
Experts do not yet agree on the health benefits of cinnamon, though it is agreed that cinnamon is full of antioxidants. The plant from which cinnamon is derived, C. zeylanicum, contains a host of various antioxidants making it a potentially viable food usable for controlling oxidative stress. This could mean that cinnamon has a role to play in treatment of several chronic diseases associated with free radical damage. One of the easiest ways for people to utilize cinnamon in their diet is by making tea from its bark.
Here is a list of some of the identified antioxidants contained in cinnamon: camphene, proanthocyanidins, linalyl-acetate, myrcene, gamma-terpinene, methyl-eugenol, epicatechin, coumaric acid, caffeic acid, isoeugenol, mannitol, phenol and vanillan.
Pregnant women should keep away from excessive amounts of cinnamon and shouldn’t take it as an herbal supplement.
Diabetes Treatment
Cinnamon is a dominant inducer of insulin sensitivity making it an effective treatment for Type II diabetes. Though cinnamon has been reported to have amazing pharmacological effects in the treatment of Type II diabetes, the plant material used in the study was mostly from cassia. I’ll tell you more about cassia in a moment.
One of the first human studies published on the health benefits of cinnamon was in 2003 in the journal, Diabetes Care. Sixty people with Type II diabetes consumed 1, 3, or 6 grams of cinnamon in pill form daily, an amount more or less equivalent to one quarter to 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.
Forty days after the study began, all three dosages of cinnamon proved to reduce fasting blood glucose levels by 18-29 percent. LDL cholesterol was reduced by 7-27 percent, triglycerides by 23-30 percent and total cholesterol from 12-26 percent.
Cinnamon and Cassia
The name cinnamon is correctly used to refer to Ceylon cinnamon, also called “true cinnamon” from the botanical name C. zeylanicum.
The related Cassia (Cinnamomum aromaticum), Saigon Cinnamon (Cinnamomum loureiroi), and Cinnamomum burmannii are sometimes sold as true cinnamon, and other times denoted from true cinnamon as “Chinese cinnamon”, “Vietnamese cinnamon”, or “Indonesian cinnamon.”
True Ceylon cinnamon is produced only from the thin inner bark of the plant and is not considered as strong or harsh as cassia. Cassia is usually noted as having a stronger flavor than true cinnamon.
The powdered cinnamon you purchase at the supermarket in the US is not true cinnamon but is in reality, cassia. Cassia is also the substance in cinnamon supplements. Cassia contains a natural compound called coumarin.
You can find coumarin in plants like sweet clover, celery, parsley and chamomile. Coumarin is a toxic ingredient. In fact, health agencies in Europe have lately advised against eating large quantities of cassia. Coumarin has been known to cause harm to the liver and kidneys when consumed in high measure. True Ceylon cinnamon actually has irrelevant quantities of coumarin.
Be certain to see your doctor before making any significant changes to your diet.