What’s Cinnamon? Uses and Health Benefits. 

Last updated on November 20th, 2024 at 09:19 pm

10 minutes read.

Have you been hearing about cinnamon and have no idea of what it’s and what it’s used for? Yes! I’m here to give you all the latest information about cinnamon trees. Follow me let’s digest the info, after today, you will realize the amazing benefits of cinnamon and perhaps you may decide to give it a try.

In this article:

What’s Cinnamon?
Types of Cinnamon
How to process cinnamon.
Traditional and Industrial Uses of Cinnamon
8 ProvenHealth Benefits of cinnamon
Conclusion

What’s Cinnamon?

Cinnamon is a spice that is made from the inner bark of cinnamon trees, (botanically known as Cinnamomum). There are different species of cinnamon trees scattered all over the world.

Overall, approximately 250 species have been identified among the cinnamon genus.

Cinnamon has been used as an ingredient throughout history, dating back to Ancient Egypt. It used to be rare and valuable and was regarded as a gift fit for kings.

The bark of various cinnamon species is one of the most important and popular spices used worldwide not only for cooking but also in traditional and modern medicine.

These trees are regarded as spices because they have an aroma (pleasant smell). Thus, they have been used as spices in many dishes, drinks, and medicines in many parts of the world. They contain essential oils, which makes them a good source of fragrance for the perfume industry.

The most important component of cinnamon is cinnamaldehyde, which is present in the essential oil and is mostly responsible for its fragrance and medicinal importance.

Scientists believe that this compound (cinnamaldehyde) is responsible for most of cinnamon’s powerful effects on health and metabolism.

Types of Cinnamon

To mention a few, there are four common types of cinnamon;

Ceylon cinnamon: Also known as true cinnamon, Ceylon cinnamon has a soft texture, less bitter, and savory taste. It’s native to Sri Lanka and is the most common type of cinnamon used in North America.

Saigon cinnamon: Often referred to as Vietnamese cinnamon, Saigon cinnamon is derived from trees that grow in Vietnam and offers a bold flavor and hint of sweetness.

Cassia cinnamon: Chinese cinnamon or cassia cinnamon is also widely available in groceries and has a rough texture and spicy-sweet flavor. It is also called regular cinnamon, commonly found in supermarkets. It has a more bitter taste and contains a certain toxic compound called coumarin when compared with Ceylon cinnamon.

Korintje cinnamon: Grown in Indonesia, Korintje cinnamon offers a subtle sweet flavor with hints of spice.

How to process cinnamon for use

Cinnamon is made by cutting the stems of cinnamon trees. The inner bark is then extracted and the woody parts are removed.

Which type of cinnamon is the best?

Well, studies have shown that not all cinnamon are created equal.

The Cassia variety contains significant amounts of a compound called coumarin, which is believed to be toxic to the liver when consumed in large doses.

However, all species of cinnamon possess one health benefit or the other, but Cassia species may cause problems in large doses due to the coumarin content it.

Ceylon (“true” cinnamon) is much better in this regard, and studies show that it’s much lower in coumarin than the Cassia species.

Compared to Ceylon cinnamon, Cassia cinnamon is generally more affordable and more widely available.

Yet, you may be able to find Ceylon in some health food stores, and there is a good selection on Amazon.

When it dries, it forms strips that curl into rolls, called cinnamon sticks. These sticks can be ground to form cinnamon powder

Traditional and Industrial Uses of Cinnamon

In addition to being used as a spice and flavoring agent, cinnamon is also added to flavor chewing gums due to its mouth-refreshing effects and ability to remove bad breath. Cinnamon can also improve the health of the colon, thereby reducing the risk of colon cancer.

Cinnamon is a coagulant and prevents bleeding. Cinnamon also increases blood circulation in the uterus and advances tissue regeneration.

This plant plays a vital role as a spice, but its essential oils and other constituents also have important activities, including antimicrobial, antifungal, antioxidant, and antidiabetic.

Cinnamon has been used as an anti-inflammatory, anti-termitic, nematicidal, mosquito larvicidal, insecticidal, antimycotic, and anticancer agent.

Cinnamon has also been traditionally used as toothpaste and to treat toothaches, dental problems, oral microbiota, and bad breath. Thus cinnamon powder is used in formulating certain natural toothpaste in dental industries.

I hope you’re getting some value, let’s move forward to find out its health benefits.

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8 Proven Health Benefits of cinnamon with scientific evidence

1. Contain a reasonable amount of antioxidants.

Antioxidants protect your body from oxidative damage caused by free radicals.

Cinnamon is loaded with powerful antioxidants, including polyphenols.

Recently, scientific research found that cinnamon supplementation could significantly increase antioxidant levels in the blood while reducing levels of markers used to measure inflammation, such as C-reactive protein.

To be precise, the antioxidant effects of cinnamon are so powerful that it can even be used as a natural food preservative in food industries.

2. Anti-inflammatory properties

Inflammation is incredibly important, as it helps your body respond to infections and repair tissue damage.

However, inflammation can become a problem when it’s chronic and directed against your body’s tissues.

Cinnamon may be useful in this because studies show that this spice and its antioxidants have potent anti-inflammatory properties. With this property, it may be used to stop internal and external bleeding just like scent leaves.

3. Protect against heart disease

Scientific studies have linked Cinnamon to a reduced risk of heart disease, which is the leading cause of death around the globe.

According to one study, supplementing with at least 1.5 grams (g), or about 3 or 4 teaspoons, of cinnamon per day was able to reduce levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol , LDL (bad) cholesterol, and blood sugar in people with metabolic disease.

Another research of 13 studies found that cinnamon could reduce triglyceride and total cholesterol levels, both of which are risk factors for heart disease.

Cinnamon has also been shown to reduce blood pressure when consumed consistently for at least 8 weeks.

When combined, all of these factors could help reduce your risk of heart disease.

Learn more

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4. May improve sensitivity to insulin

Cinnamon is well known for its blood-sugar-lowering properties. Insulin is one of the key hormones that regulate metabolism and energy use.

It helps in transporting blood sugar from your bloodstream to your cells.

However, some people are resistant to the effects of insulin.  When this occurs it’s called insulin resistance, which leads to conditions like metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.

Some research suggests that cinnamon may reduce insulin resistance, and as a result, scientists are beginning to formulate cinnamon into pills to make it easy to consume by anyone.  However, more research is needed to conclude.

Cinnamon controls blood sugar levels by increasing insulin sensitivity in the body. Specifically, cinnamon has been shown to decrease the amount of sugar that enters your bloodstream after a meal.

It does this by interfering with numerous digestive enzymes, which slows the breakdown of carbohydrates in your digestive system.

Additionally, a compound in cinnamon may mimic the effects of insulin to improve the uptake of sugar into the cells.

Human studies have confirmed the beneficial effects of cinnamon, showing that it can lower fasting blood sugar levels and improve hemoglobin- a marker of long-term blood sugar control.

The effective dose of cinnamon is 1 to 6g or around 0.5 to 2 teaspoons of cinnamon powder per day.

5. May have beneficial effects on Neurodegenerative diseases

Neurodegenerative disease is a type of disease in which cells of the central nervous system stop working or die. They may be genetic or be caused by a tumor or stroke.

Examples of neurodegenerative diseases include Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

A particular compound found in cinnamon appears to inhibit the buildup of a protein called tau in the brain, which is one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease.

In one 2014 study in mice with Parkinson’s disease, cinnamon helped protect neurons, normalized neurotransmitter levels, and improved motor function.

However, human studies are needed to confirm this effect.

6. Cinnamon may protect against cancer

Cinnamon has been widely studied for its potential use in cancer prevention and treatment.

However, most of the research is based on animal studies test-tube and, which suggest that cinnamon extracts may protect against cancer.

Cinnamon works by reducing the growth of cancer cells and the formation of blood vessels in tumors. Its extract was found to be toxic to cancer cells, causing cell death.

Research in mice with ovarian cancer showed that cinnamaldehyde a curative chemical compound found in cinnamon could block the expression of certain proteins involved in cancer growth.

The evidence was supported by test-tube experiments, which showed that cinnamaldehyde could reduce cancer cell growth and spread of ovarian cancer cells.

However, human studies are needed to conclude the potential anti-cancer effects of cinnamon in humans.

7. Cinnamon prevents bacterial and fungal infections

Cinnamaldehyde, one of the main curative compounds in cinnamon, has been found to protect against certain kinds of infection.

Test-tube studies suggest that cinnamon oil could help kill certain fungi that cause respiratory tract infections.

It may also inhibit the growth of certain bacteria, including Listeria and Salmonella typhi.

Test-tube and animal studies suggest that the antimicrobial effects of cinnamon may also help prevent tooth decay and reduce bad breath. Thus, cinnamon powder may be used to formulate toothpaste.

However, human studies are needed to conclude.

8. Cinnamon may have anti-viral properties

Some research suggests that cinnamon may help protect against certain viruses, such as HIV-1 which is the most common strain of HIV in humans.

Evidently, cinnamon extracted from Cassia species is found to be beneficial against HIV-1.

Other studies suggest that cinnamon could also protect against other viruses, like influenza and Dengue, a viral infection transmitted by mosquitoes. Yet human studies are required to confirm.

Conclusion

Cinnamon is a spice that is made from the inner bark of cinnamon trees, (botanically known as Cinnamomum). There are different species of cinnamon trees scattered all over the world.

They have been used traditionally as spices in many dishes, drinks, and medicine in many parts of the world for ages.  They contain an essential oil that makes them a good source of fragrance for the perfume industries

Cinnamon has been widely studied for its potential use in the prevention and treatment, of neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, high blood sugar, dental problems, viral diseases including HIV, heart disease, bacteria and fungi infection, and inflammation.

However, most of the studies on cinnamon are limited to animals and test-tube experiments. Although few human studies have been carried out that showed positive confirmation, still more human research is needed to conclude. 

Excess intake of Cinnamon may cause side effects so stick to the safe dose.

I recommend one teaspoon two or three times weekly if you’re taking cinnamon just for general body protection, however, if you’re taking cinnamon to treat a specific illness stick to the prescribed dose. 

I hope you get the value worth your time, I appreciate the time you spend with me. Leave a comment below if you find this article helpful and don’t forget to drop your question, opinion, or criticism if any. Cheers!

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