Medicinal properties of Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a spice that comes from the branches of wild trees that belongs to the genus "Cinnamomum", native to the Caribbean, South America and Southeast Asia.

Cinnamon is the brownish-reddish inner bark of the cinnamon tree. When dried, it rolls into a tubular form known as a quill.  Almost every part of the cinnamon tree including the bark, leaves, flowers, fruits and roots, has some medicinal or cooking use.

The unique smell, color, and taste of cinnamon is due to the oil present in the tree. The health benefits of cinnamon come from the bark of the Cinnamomum tree. The volatile oils obtained from the bark, leaf, and root barks contain active components called cinnamaldehyde, cinnamyl acetate, and cinnamyl alcohol.

In traditional medicine, Cinnamon is considered a remedy for respiratory, digestive and gynaecological ailments.

Cinnamon has the ability to help stop the growth of bacteria as well as fungi, including the commonly problematic yeast, Candida.

Medicinal properties

• Cinnamon has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-microbial, immunity-boosting, cancer and heart disease-protecting abilities.
• Cinnamaldehyde helps fight against bacterial and fungal infections.
• Cinnamon can be used to help treat muscle spasms, vomiting, diarrhoea, infections, the common cold, loss of appetite, and erectile dysfunction (ED).
• Cinnamon may lower blood sugar in people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Cinnamon extract can reduce fasting blood sugar levels in patients.
• Cinnamon may help prevent Alzheimer's disease. An extract found in cinnamon bark can inhibit the development of the disease.
• Cinnamon may help stop the destructive process of multiple sclerosis (MS),
• Diets rich in cinnamon can help reduce the body's negative responses to eating high-fat meals and thus useful for weight loss and maintenance.
• Cinnamon contains a chemical called coumarin that acts as a powerful anticoagulant. So it is considered as a natural blood thinner.
• Smelling the wonderful odour of this spice boosts brain activity.
• Cinnamon also strengthens bones and teeth. The extracts found in cinnamon are protective against bacteria living in the mouth that could cause bad breath, tooth decay, cavities, or mouth infections.
• Cinnamon has been used to provide relief with the onset of a cold or flu, when mixed in a tea with some fresh ginger.
• Cinnamon helps prevent HIV from developing into AIDS by blocking type-1 HIV which infects cells of human body.
• Cinnamon is an excellent source of fiber, minerals, manganese and calcium. Calcium and fiber can bind to bile salts and help remove them from the body.
• During this process, fiber prevents the damage to colon cells caused by certain bile salts, thereby reducing the risk of colon cancer.
• When bile is removed by fiber, the body breaks down cholesterol in order to make new bile. This process can help to lower high cholesterol levels, which can be helpful in preventing atherosclerosis and heart disease.
• The fiber in cinnamon also provides relief from constipation or diarrhoea.
• Long-term cinnamon consumption in foods, can cause liver damage.

One tablespoon of ground cinnamon contains:

• 19 calories
• 0 grams of fat, sugar, or protein
• 4 grams of fiber
• 68% manganese
• 8% calcium
• 4% iron
• 3% Vitamin K