Cinnamon: Health Benefits And Risks

Cinnamon ( Cinnamomum velum or C. cassia ) has long been treated a “miraculous” food in a variety of cultures, and science has shown that its active components such as cinnamic aldehyde, cinnamic acetate, and alcohol have health benefits. Medical research is quite mixed on the extent of the health benefits of cinnamon and it is still not clear if cinnamon can fight diseases, but it has a therapeutic role in certain pathologies such as digestive problems and benign bacterial infections or colds.

Choose Ceylon cinnamon

The two main types of cinnamon are Ceylon cinnamon and cassia. The first is sometimes also called “true” or “real” cinnamon, but it is not always easy to know in a supermarket if you are dealing with breakage. Ceylon cinnamon is, however, the best option because it contains less coumarin.

• Regular intake of coumarin may cause liver problems. It can also disturb the effectiveness of drugs to treat diabetes. So you should see your GP to know if you can take cinnamon safely.

Choose the best form of cinnamon

You can buy cinnamon in the form of powder, sticks, dietary supplements and extracts. acknowledge its use before deciding on the form of cinnamon to buy. Your requirements will be different, depending on whether you put cinnamon in your diet or use it for more medical purposes. Try using cinnamon sticks or powder in all kinds of dishes and drinks to renew your taste

• Buy it powder if you plan to use it to season your food.
• Add a cinnamon stick to your pan when cooking rice.

You can buy cinnamon extract that has had most of the coumarin removed from a health food store if your doctor has advised you to take cinnamon to try to manage your blood glucose levels.

Health benefits of cinnamon for cold and flu

Use it in your hot drinks

Add a teaspoon of cinnamon to your hot drinks to reduce the effects of a cold or flu. Cinnamon is known for its antimicrobial properties, which can help your immune system fight a cold or flu. It can stop the growth of bacteria and fungi. You’re not going to cure your cold by adding a teaspoon of cinnamon to your hot water, but you’ll make a comforting drink that will help you feel a little better.

Cinnamon for runny nose

Try a hot cinnamon drink to stop a runny nose. This can stop the symptoms of your cold or flu and can especially stop a runny nose that is quite irritating. You can combine it with ginger for extra effect.

 
Add a teaspoonful of cinnamon to your soups. As with hot beverages, adding cinnamon to a soup often provides more aroma while providing some relief to those who are not on their plates.

• The antimicrobial properties of cinnamon are so good that it has been referenced as a natural preservative.

Health benefits of cinnamon for digestion

Use Ceylon cinnamon to take advantage of its benefits on digestion

The cinnamon shape chosen is not too important, but it is more practical to take it as a powder because it is easier to dose with a spoon if you use it to season your dishes.

• A cinnamon stick is better for drinks, but it’s harder to know how much you’re consuming.

Season the high carbohydrate cinnamon dishes

Adding a teaspoonful to a carbohydrate-rich dish will reduce its impact on your blood sugar level. The blood sugar level rises after a meal, but adding cinnamon can slow down this process and therefore limit peak blood sugar levels. Scientific experiments have shown the influence of a few grams of cinnamon added to a dessert on digestion.

• Too much cinnamon is dangerous, so you should limit yourself to one teaspoon a day, which is equivalent to about 4 to 5 grams.
• See your doctor first and ask about the influence of cinnamon on blood glucose levels if you have diabetes. Never barter insulin for cinnamon.

Use cinnamon to aid digestion

You can also consume a small amount of cinnamon after meals, rather than using it to season your dishes. Cinnamon can help you, as it can stimulate a weakened digestive system if you suffer from heartburn or indigestion after a meal. The ingredients in cinnamon help you to break down the food and help digestion.

• Try a cinnamon tea (a teaspoonful of cinnamon powder dissolved in hot water) after a meal.
• You can also add a teaspoon of cinnamon to your coffee after lunch.

Improve the functioning of the colon with cinnamon

Cinnamon is an excellent source of calcium and fiber. The combination of these two components can be a boon for the health of your colon. High levels of bile crystals can damage colon cells and increase the likelihood of colon cancer. Both calcium and fiber can adhere to these bile crystals and promote their evacuation from your body, which in turn allows you to reduce the risk of colon cancer.

• Fibers also help people with irritable bowel syndrome, which may also help to relieve constipation or diarrhea.

Incorporate cinnamon into a healthy diet to lower your cholesterol

There is no evidence that cinnamon has a clear influence on lowering cholesterol levels. This is theoretically the case since cinnamon influences how to assimilate fats and carbohydrates by the body. However, this remains an assumption and a quantity of cinnamon limited to 2 or 3 grams per day should be part of a healthy diet and an active lifestyle.

• Although cinnamon tastes great when added to pastries, incorporating it into foods that are too fat will not help you lower your cholesterol.

Understanding the potential risks of cinnamon

Talk to your doctor first

There are lots of reasons why taking cinnamon on a therapeutic scale may not be a good idea for you. You should always ask your doctor first. You should also ask him if there are any negative reactions to other drugs you may be taking, whether chemical or herbal.

• While there is some evidence that cinnamon is effective in stabilizing blood glucose levels in people with diabetes, it should never be used in place of insulin.

Know how much to take and how often

Cinnamon treatment is not recognized and therefore there is no set rule as to the amounts to be taken for potential health benefits. The recommendations can vary between half a teaspoon a day and up to six teaspoonfuls daily. When in doubt, use caution and consume less. Large amounts of cinnamon can be toxic, so you should never exceed the recommended dosage of one teaspoon per day or 5-6 grams.

• As always, you should see a doctor before eating cinnamon regularly for health reasons.

Know when you should not take doses of cinnamon for therapeutic use

Since there are still uncertainties regarding the therapeutic use of cinnamon, there are cases where its use is not recommended. Children and pregnant women should not take cinnamon food supplements. Breastfeeding women should avoid it too.

 Do not consume too much cinnamon if you take a blood thinner

You should not eat too much cinnamon in this case. Cinnamon contains a small amount of coumarin, which can further dilute the blood. The amount of coumarin is greater in case of breakage than in Ceylon cinnamon. Too much cinnamon can also damage the liver.

 Store the cinnamon in a cool place

Put the cinnamon in a tightly sealed glass and keep it away from light, cool and dry. You can keep cinnamon powder for up to six months. Cinnamon sticks can be kept for up to a year. You can increase the duration of cinnamon consumption by storing it in the refrigerator and a tight container.

• Feel the cinnamon to check its freshness. Make sure it tastes sweet, which is a good indication of freshness.
• Choose organically grown cinnamon to make sure it has not been processed. Pesticide-treated cinnamon may be less rich in vitamin C and carotenoids.

Tips

Cinnamomum velum is also the other name for true cinnamon, which grows mostly in Sri Lanka, Seychelles, Madagascar, and southern India. C. Cassia is the botanical name of the case or Chinese cinnamon, which also grows in India, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia. 250 species of cinnamon have been identified to date. Cinnamon available to consumers may be a mixture of different species, but you will pay more for better quality, as is the case for any food.

Warnings

• Do not consume cinnamon at therapeutic doses, at least one week before the procedure to avoid complications related to the fluidity of the blood if you have to be operated on. Very low consumption of spice is safe but talk to your doctor to find out more.
• Pregnant or breastfeeding women should not consume cinnamon at therapeutic doses.
• Large consumption of cinnamon variety breaks can be toxic, because of the coumarin it contains. The latter is not present in the Ceylon variety.

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