Health Benefit One: Cinnamon has been shown reduce the chances of diabetes.
Oxidative stress is the creation of free radicals and peroxides which damage proteins and DNA. Oxidative stress is closely related to obesity and a Type 2 Diabetes. In a study, found on the National Agricultural Library website, found cinnamon as a powerful an oxidation and significantly reduced free radicals.
It was a 12 week study performed with a group of twenty-five individuals with impaired fasting glucose (considered to be pre-diabetic) divided into two random groups. One group was given a placebo twice daily and took an extract of cinnamon twice daily. Blood was drawn before, after, and during the study and researchers came to the conclusion that:
the inclusion of cinnamon extracts in the diet of people that are overweight or obese would reduce oxidative stress and impaired fasting glycemia which are risk factors associated with diabetes and
cardiovascular disease
What does that mean the antioxidants in cinnamon reduce the chances of diabetes.
Health Benefit Two: Cinnamon Has Been Shown To Help Control Blood Sugar Levels
Insulin sensitivity is when your body less efficient in lowing blood sugar levels. Common conditions associated insulin sensitivity are obesity, and pre-diabetes. And in the study, Chromium and polyphenols from cinnamon improve insulin sensitivity, researchers found the compounds in cinnamon improve insulin signalling and glucose control.
Health Benefit Three: Cinnamon Has Been Shown To Lower Blood Pressure
In a study from the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, researchers hypothesis was cinnamon would have the same correlation as other “agents (nutrients, nutraceuticals, and drugs)” to improve insulin sensitivity and at the same time lower blood pressure.
Their study was on rats with high blood pressure. Scientists tested giving varying amount of cinnamon in the diets which were both high and low in sugar. The higher sugar diets are of most interest because they are associated with high chances of prediabetes and high blood pressure. The result was rats on the higher sugar diet had the same level of blood pressure the rats on the lower sugar diets.
Even more impressive, cinnamon had the effect to lower the blood pressure of rats on the low sugar diets. Meaning cinnamon’s power to reduce blood pressure goes beyond its ability to control glucose levels in the blood maybe as far as inherited high blood pressure.
Health Benefit Four: Cinnamon Has Been Shown To Relieve Pain From Arthritis
In a study by Copenhagen University, researchers gave a mixture of honey and cinnamon to 200 individuals daily who were suffering from severe arthritis. A large portion reported within the first month have major reduction in pain.
Health Benefit Five: Cinnamon Kills E. Coli
A experiment done by Kansas State found that adding roughly one teaspoon to 64 ounces of E. Coli inflected apple juice killed 99% of the bacteria. The article found here goes on to say:
The objective of this research was to study the inhibitory effect of cinnamon on E. coli 0157:H7 in apple juice and reduce the amount of preservatives used in apple juice,” Ceylan said. “We can do it with chemicals but we think using natural resources is a better way.
Which leads to the next health benefit of cinnamon.
Health Benefit Six: Cinnamon is a natural preservative
As stated above cinnamon was found to be a viable preservative. But there has many studies showing that cinnamon is a powerful food preservative.
Before Taking Cinnamon
Cinnamon is not without its side effects. Plus the cinnamon’s potential to effect blood sugar as a diabetic does raise possible risks. Like taking any supplement, cinnamon should not be taken in excess.