Personally, I love the smell and taste of Cinnamon! However, you either love it or hate it. It can make certain foods taste delicious. I use it multiple times a day, most days. If you use it often, this information may be important to you, so today, we’ll talk about the types and benefits of cinnamon.
Caution is needed because cinnamon is a very hot spice. Never put it directly into your mouth. It will burn you. The oils in cinnamon are very volatile. Always mix it with food or a drink. Additionally, using the wrong type of cinnamon in higher amounts can be harmful. Let’s look at some of the properties of cinnamon, one of my favorite spices! I love the flavor and smell. As I write this for you, I am sipping on a cup of hot chocolate infused with 1/4 teaspoon of Ceylon cinnamon and raw honey.
It can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. It is very versatile and has a very profound and enticing smell. In the winter, it evokes the power of the Holiday spirit. Its aroma can shift our mood to happiness and improve our cognitive ability!
The Type Matters
Cinnamon comes from the bark of a tree. Although there are four main varieties of cinnamon, Ceylon cinnamon, or true cinnamon, is the best for everyday use. Cassia cinnamon, the type most commonly found in grocery stores, contains a compound called coumarin that can damage the liver if consumed frequently in even normal quantities.
Cassia cinnamon is usually labeled as Saigon or Vietnamese cinnamon. Ceylon cinnamon does not have coumarin. Ceylon cinnamon is not as pungent or aggressive in flavor as Cassia cinnamon and can be used in larger quantities, providing greater antioxidant potential. Its flavor is more subtle and a little sweeter. I recommend Ceylon if you want to consume cinnamon in larger quantities. Then, only buy organic brands. A few stores carry Ceylon cinnamon, or you can find it easily online.
Benefits of Cinnamon
For thousands of years, Cinnamon has been used as a spice in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine. Did you know that in the Bible, Moses was directed to use it to make Holy Oil for anointing the sick?
A few of the health benefits include:
- May support better blood sugar levels
- Powerful antioxidant
- May be Anti-bacterial
- May be Anti-fungal
- Anti-inflammatory
- May support better and healthier digestion
- May improve blood flow and circulation, preventing heart disease
- May help prevent Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia
- May improve cognitive function
- May support lower cholesterol
- May be heart-protective
Just the smell of cinnamon may help you think better. Research led by Dr. P. Zoladz and presented on April 24, 2004, at the annual meeting of the Association for Chemoreception Sciences in Sarasota, FL, found that chewing cinnamon-flavored gum or just smelling cinnamon enhanced study participants’ cognitive processing. No wonder I love the smell of cinnamon!
Recent studies have found that cinnamon may have a beneficial effect on blood sugar. One of the first human studies was published in 2003 in a medical journal called Diabetes Care. Sixty people with type 2 diabetes took 1, 3, or 6 grams of cinnamon in pill form daily, roughly equivalent to one-quarter of a teaspoon to 1 teaspoon. After 40 days, all three amounts reduced fasting blood glucose by 18 to 29%, triglycerides by 23 to 30%, LDL cholesterol by 7 to 27%, and total cholesterol by 12 to 26%.
However, some of the health benefits, particularly those surrounding blood sugar control, are inconclusive. More research is needed.
Enjoy your cinnamon and try using it in a variety of ways. It doesn’t take much to add a flavorful impact.
While cinnamon isn’t in Vive Shake, we recommend adding both to your wellness routine. To see how this whole-food nutrient-dense supplement will help you, contact us today at info@viveshake.com or 877-878-3009.