The Health Benefits of Cinnamon
 Cinnamon
does not only taste good, it also contains many health benefits such
as: Anti-Clotting and Anti-Microbial actions, Blood Sugar Control,
it boosts Brain Function, it's Calcium and Fiber protect against
Heart Disease and improve Colon Health, among other things.
Date: 08/15/05
Source:
www.whfoods.org
Cinnamon, ground
Although available throughout the year, the fragrant, sweet and warm taste
of cinnamon is a perfect spice to use during the winter months.
Cinnamon has a long history both as a spice and as a medicine. It is
the brown bark of the cinnamon tree, which is available in its dried
tubular form known as a quill or as ground powder. The two varieties
of cinnamon, Chinese and Ceylon, have similar flavor, however the
cinnamon from Ceylon is slightly sweeter, more refined and more
difficult to find in local markets.
Health Benefits
Cinnamon’s unique healing abilities come from three basic types of
components in the essential oils found in its bark. These oils
contain active components called cinnamaldehyde, cinnamyl acetate,
and cinnamyl alcohol, plus a wide range of other volatile
substances.
Anti-Clotting Actions
Cinnamaldehyde (also called cinnamic aldehyde) has been
well-researched for its effects on blood platelets. Platelets are
constituents of blood that are meant to clump together under
emergency circumstances (like physical injury) as a way to stop
bleeding, but under normal circumstances, they can make blood flow
inadequate if they clump together too much. The cinnaldehyde in
cinnamon helps prevent unwanted clumping of blood platelets. (The
way it accomplishes this health-protective act is by inhibiting the
release of an inflammatory fatty acid called arachidonic acid from
platelet membranes and reducing the formation of an inflammatory
messaging molecule called thromboxane A2.) Cinnamon's ability to
lower the release of arachidonic acid from cell membranes also puts
it in the category of an “anti-inflammatory” food that can be
helpful in lessening inflammation.
Anti-Microbial Activity
Cinnamon’s essential oils also qualify it as an “anti-microbial”
food, and cinnamon has been studied for its ability to help stop the
growth of bacteria as well as fungi, including the commonly
problematic yeast Candida. In laboratory tests, growth of yeasts
that were resistant to the commonly used anti-fungal medication
fluconazole was often (though not always) stopped by cinnamon
extracts.
Cinnamon’s antimicrobial properties are so
effective that recent research demonstrates this spice can be used
as an alternative to traditional food preservatives. In a study,
published in the August 2003 issue of the International Journal of
Food Microbiology, the addition of just a few drops of cinnamon
essential oil to 100 ml (approximately 3 ounces) of carrot broth,
which was then refrigerated, inhibited the growth of the foodborne
pathogenic Bacillus cereus for at least 60 days. When the broth was
refrigerated without the addition of cinnamon oil, the pathogenic B.
cereus flourished despite the cold temperature. In addition,
researchers noted that the addition of cinnamon not only acted as an
effective preservative but improved the flavor of the broth.(October
1, 2003)
Blood Sugar Control
Cinnamon may significantly help people with type 2 diabetes improve
their ability to respond to insulin, thus normalizing their blood
sugar levels. Both test tube and animal studies have shown that
compounds in cinnamon not only stimulate insulin receptors, but also
inhibit an enzyme that inactivates them, thus significantly
increasing cells’ ability to use glucose. Studies to confirm
cinnamon’s beneficial actions in humans are currently underway with
the most recent report coming from researchers from the US
Agricultural Research Service, who have shown that less than half a
teaspoon per day of cinnamon reduces blood sugar levels in persons
with type 2 diabetes. Their study included 60 Pakistani volunteers
with type 2 diabetes who were not taking insulin. Subjects were
divided into six groups. For 40 days, groups 1, 2 and 3 were given
1, 3, or 6 grams per day of cinnamon while groups 4, 5 and 6
received placebo capsules. Even the lowest amount of cinnamon, 1
gram per day (approximately ¼ to ½ teaspoon), produced an
approximately 20% drop in blood sugar; cholesterol and triglycerides
were lowered as well. When daily cinnamon was stopped, blood sugar
levels began to increase. (December 30, 2003)
Test tube, animal and human studies have all
recently investigated cinnamon’s ability to improve insulin
activity, and thus our cells’ ability to absorb and use glucose from
the blood. On going in vitro or test tube research conducted by
Richard Anderson and his colleagues at the USDA Human Nutrition
Research Center is providing new understanding of the mechanisms
through which cinnamon enhances insulin activity. In their latest
paper, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry,
Anderson et al. characterize the insulin-enhancing complexes in
cinnamon—a collection of catechin/epicatechin oligomers that
increase the body’s insulin-dependent ability to use glucose roughly
20-fold.. Some scientists had been concerned about potentially toxic
effects of regularly consuming cinnamon. This new research shows
that the potentially toxic compounds in cinnamon bark are found
primarily in the lipid (fat) soluble fractions and are present only
at very low levels in water soluble cinnamon extracts, which are the
ones with the insulin-enhancing compounds. A recent animal study
demonstrating cinnamon’s beneficial effects on insulin activity
appeared in the December 2003 issue of Diabetes Research and
Clinical Practice. In this study, when rats were given a daily dose
of cinnamon (300 mg per kilogram of body weight) for a 3 week
period, their skeletal muscle was able to absorb 17% more blood
sugar per minute compared to that of control rats, which had not
received cinnamon, an increase researchers attributed to cinnamon’s
enhancement of the muscle cells’ insulin-signaling pathway. In
humans with type 2 diabetes, consuming as little as 1 gram of
cinnamon per day was found to reduce blood sugar, triglycerides, LDL
(bad) cholesterol, and total cholesterol, in a study published in
the December 2003 issue of Diabetes Care. The placebo-controlled
study evaluated 60 people with type 2 diabetes (30 men and 30 women
ranging in age from 44 to 58 years) who were divided into 6 groups.
Groups 1, 2, and 3 were given 1, 3, or 6 grams of cinnamon daily,
while groups 4, 5, and 6 received 1, 3 or 6 grams of placebo. After
40 days, all three levels of cinnamon reduced blood sugar levels by
18-29%, triglycerides 23-30%, LDL cholesterol 7-27%, and total
cholesterol 12-26%, while no significant changes were seen in those
groups receiving placebo. The researchers’ conclusion: including
cinnamon in the diet of people with type 2 diabetes will reduce risk
factors associated with diabetes and cardiovascular
diseases.(January 28, 2004)
The latest research on cinnamon shows that by
enhancing insulin signaling, cinnamon can prevent insulin resistance
even in animals fed a high-fructose diet! A study published in the
February 2004 issue of Hormone Metabolism Research showed that when
rats fed a high-fructose diet were also given cinnamon extract,
their ability to respond to and utilize glucose (blood sugar) was
improved so much that it was the same as that of rats on a normal
(control) diet. Cinnamon is so powerful an antioxidant that, when
compared to six other antioxidant spices (anise, ginger, licorice,
mint, nutmeg and vanilla) and the chemical food preservatives (BHA (butylated
hydroxyanisole), BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene), and propyl gallate),
cinnamon prevented oxidation more effectively than all the other
spices (except mint) and the chemical antioxidants. (May 6, 2004)
Cinnamon's Scent Boosts Brain Function
Not only does consuming cinnamon improve the body’s ability to
utilize blood sugar, but just smelling the wonderful odor of this
sweet spice boosts brain activity! Research led by Dr. P. Zoladz and
presented 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. Specifically, cinnamon improved
participants’ scores on tasks related to attentional processes,
virtual recognition memory, working memory, and visual-motor speed
while working on a computer-based program. Participants were exposed
to four odorant conditions: no odor, peppermint odor, jasmine, and
cinnamon, with cinnamon emerging the clear winner in producing
positive effects on brain function. Encouraged by the results of
these studies, researchers will be evaluating cinnamon’s potential
for enhancing cognition in the elderly, individuals with
test-anxiety, and possibly even patients with diseases that lead to
cognitive decline. (May 9, 2004)
Calcium and Fiber Improve Colon Health and
Protect Against Heart Disease
In addition to its unique essential oils, cinnamon is an excellent
source of the trace mineral manganese and a very good source of
dietary fiber, iron and calcium. The combination of calcium and
fiber in cinnamon is important and can be helpful for the prevention
of several different conditions. Both calcium and fiber can bind to
bile salts and help remove them from the body. By removing bile,
fiber helps to prevent the damage that certain bile salts can cause
to colon cells, thereby reducing the risk of colon cancer. In
addition, when bile is removed by fiber, the body must break 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. For sufferers of irritable bowel
syndrome, the fiber in cinnamon may also provide relief from
constipation or diarrhea. A Traditional Warming Remedy In addition
to the active components in its essential oils and its nutrient
composition, cinnamon has also been valued in energy-based medical
systems, such as Traditional Chinese Medicine, for its warming
qualities. In these traditions, cinnamon has been used to provide
relief when faced with the onset of a cold or flu, especially when
mixed in a tea with some fresh ginger. Description Cinnamon is the
brown bark of the cinnamon tree, which when dried, rolls into a
tubular form known as a quill. Cinnamon is available in either its
whole quill form (cinnamon sticks) or as ground powder. While there
are approximately one hundred varieties of Cinnamonum verum (the
scientific name for cinnamon), Cinnamonum zeylanicum (Ceylon
cinnamon) and Cinnamomun aromaticum (Chinese cinnamon) are the
leading varieties consumed. Ceylon cinnamon is also referred to as
“true cinnamon”, while the Chinese variety is known as “cassia”.
While both are relatively similar in characteristics and both
feature a fragrant, sweet and warm taste, the flavor of the Ceylon
variety is more refined and subtle. Ceylon cinnamon is more rare in
North America than the cassia, the less expensive variety, which is
the most popular in the United States.
History
Cinnamon is one of the oldest spices known. It was mentioned in the
Bible and was used in ancient Egypt not only as a beverage flavoring
and medicine, but also as an embalming agent. It was so highly
treasured that it was considered more precious than gold. Around
this time, cinnamon also received much attention in China, which is
reflected in its mention in one of the earliest books on Chinese
botanical medicine, dated around 2,700 B.C. Cinnamon’s popularity
continued throughout history. It became one of the most relied upon
spices in Medieval Europe. Due to its demand, cinnamon became one of
the first commodities traded regularly between the Near East and
Europe. Ceylon cinnamon is produced in Sri Lanka, India, Madagascar,
Brazil and the Caribbean, while cassia is mainly produced in China,
Vietnam and Indonesia.
How to Select and Store
How to Enjoy
For some of our favorite recipes, click Recipes (www.whfoods.org).
A Few Quick Serving Ideas: Enjoy one of the favorite kids’ classics
– cinnamon toast - with a healthy twist. Drizzle flax seed oil onto
whole wheat toast and then sprinkle with cinnamon and honey. Simmer
cinnamon sticks with soymilk and honey for a deliciously warming
beverage. Adding ground cinnamon to black beans to be used in
burritos or nachos will give them a uniquely delicious taste.
Healthy sauté lamb with eggplant, raisins and cinnamon sticks to
create a Middle Eastern inspired meal. Add ground cinnamon when
preparing curries.
Safety
Cinnamon is not a commonly allergenic food and is not known to
contain measurable amounts of goitrogens, oxalates, or purines.
Nutritional Profile Introduction to Food Rating System Chart The
following chart shows the nutrients for which this food is either an
excellent, very good or good source. Next to the nutrient name you
will find the following information: the amount of the nutrient that
is included in the noted serving of this food; the %Daily Value (DV)
that that amount represents (similar to other information presented
in the website, this DV is calculated for 25-50 year old healthy
woman); the nutrient density rating; and, the food's World's
Healthiest Foods Rating. Underneath the chart is a table that
summarizes how the ratings were devised. For more detailed
information on our Food and Recipe Rating System, please go to
www.whfoods.org.
Cinnamon, Ground
2.00 tsp
11.84 calories
Nutrient Amount DV
(%) Nutrient
Density World's Healthiest Foods Rating
manganese 0.76 mg 38.0 57.8 excellent
dietary fiber 2.48 g 9.9 15.1 very good
iron 1.72 mg 9.6 14.5 very good
calcium 55.68 mg 5.6 8.5 very good
World's Healthiest Foods Rating Rule
excellent DV>=75% OR Density>=7.6 AND DV>=10%
very good DV>=50% OR Density>=3.4 AND DV>=5%
good DV>=25% OR Density>=1.5 AND DV>=2.5%
For References and more information, visit:
www.whfoods.org
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