Some Things You Might Not Know About Cinnamon

So I was feeding my little girl the other day, some sweet potato and cinnamon stage two food, and I started thinking 'I wonder what the point of cinnamon is and whether it has any actual health benefits. I mean why put it in baby food?' Maybe I was over-thinking it, but I found some really cool things in my research that I thought I would share. 

There are two types of cinnamon most commonly used today. The first being Ceylon (the one most commonly used, especially in the western world) and the second being Cassia, a sweeter version exported mainly from China. Cinnamon has been widely used throughout the ages for many different purposes, going all the way back to biblical times and the ancient world. Many believed cinnamon to be a gift fit for kings and gods. (who knew my baby was eating the stuff fit for gods?) They also believed it would heal ailments such as snake bites, the common cold, kidney troubles, and last but not least, freckles! Apparently, in the olden days, having freckles was something in need of curing. Well, who knows about all that, but modern science has shown some pretty cool effects cinnamon can have. Here is what I found...

(And it's so pretty too!)

1. Cinnamon can have an effect on blood sugar and, in some cases, help people with type I and II Diabetes.

Some studies have found that people who took Cassia, who also had type I or II Diabetes were able to lower their blood sugar and helped people with an insulin resistance. Although, with that said, Cassia contains something called Coumarin, and if you take too much it could harm your liver.  

2. Cinnamon has also been known to reduce the pain from arthritis.

Some testimonies of people with arthritis have reported pain relief from the the use of cinnamon. Not a lot of studies have been done in this area, but cinnamon has a lot of Manganese (something that helps build our bones) which could very well help with bone health. Some people will drink cinnamon tea or use the oil to rub onto their joints. Hey, if people say it helps, whats the harm? (unless you have a severe allergy to cinnamon, that is) Plus it will make you smell good.   

3. Cinnamon can fight off bacteria.

Now here is where those freckle hating ancient Egyptians got something right. Cinnamon actually can help fight off the common cold and the sore throats that come along with it. Cinnamon contains something called Cinnamaldehyde, which fights off bacteria and fungi in food and in the human body. A study found that when people chew Big Red chewing gum, (contains cinnamon in case you didn't know) oral bacteria was reduced by more than 50%, especially concerning the bacteria living at the back of the tongue. So the next time you get a cold, try some of that cinnamon tea, it might help you get better and help keep the germs from spreading to your peers. This also works on food. Cinnamon has been used as a food preservative and also sprayed on food to keep the insects away. Cinnamon especially works well as a killer of mosquito larvae (this is a good thing to know in the south). 

4. Cinnamon can be effective for menstrual pain and infertility.

Here's that Manganese again. Manganese also helps form blood-clotting factors as well as sex hormones. Women with less Manganese and things such as Calcium, Chromium, and Copper in their diet tend to have worse mood swings, more bloating, and heavier periods. But before you go out and load up on the Manganese, overtaking can cause harmful side effects (nervous system and learning disabilities! Yikes). An individual should not consume more than 11mg per day.

(I heart Cinnamon!)

5. Cinnamon can help reduce chronic inflammation linked with neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, MS, brain tumor, and meningitis. 

So, there are many different studies stating that cinnamon can help delay the oncoming of these disorders. In the Alzheimer's case, there have been Israeli studies indicating that cinnamon has been effective in correcting some cognitive impairment. 

So these are my cinnamon findings and all of them sound great and are interesting to consider. Who would have known that delicious stuff I sprinkle on top of my hot chocolate could do so many different things. Now, most of my research concluded that more studies needed to be done on cinnamon to really know the extent of its power, but it is cool to know what has already been experienced. Hopefully you have a new found appreciation of cinnamon. I know I do!