Cinnamon for Brain, Blood Sugar, Antioxidant & Anti-Microbial

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a common spice used in cooking to flavor foods and add special warmth to drinks like hot cider. It is delicious and also healthy. Cinnamon offers a variety of health benefits such as anti-clotting factors, anti-microbial agents, brain boosting activity, and, most notably, blood sugar control. Cinnamon is considered a traditional warming remedy as it is known to help warm the body naturally when faced with a cold or flu. The health-promoting factor in cinnamon is found in the essential oils of the bark of cinnamon which is comprised of cinnamaldehyde, cinnamyl acetate, and cinnamyl alcohol. Cinnamon is one of the oldest and most sought after spices in history. It was considered more valuable than gold in ancient Egypt as a flavoring spice, medicine, and even an embalming agent. It was also highly relied upon in medieval Europe and was one of the first commodities traded between Europe and the Near East. Cinnamon was also a valued spice in China and was even noted in one of its earliest botanical books written around 2,700 B.C. There are two types of cinnamon which are both valuable for their health benefits. Ceylon cinnamon is the sweeter-tasting of the two cinnamons and is grown in Sri Lanka, India, Madagascar, Brazil and the Caribbean. Cassia is known as Chinese cinnamon, is the most commonly found cinnamon, and is mainly produced in China, Vietnam and Indonesia.

Health Benefits of Cinnamon

• Helps prevent blood clotting
• Anti-inflammatory
• Anti-microbial
• Helps control blood sugar
• Facilitates insulin absorption
• Enhances brain function
• Antioxidant

Cinnamon and Blood Sugar

Research is continuing to build showing the value of cinnamon for its role in reducing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon slows the rate at which the stomach empties following meals. Consequently, blood sugar doesn’t rise as rapidly after eating. One study conducted on 14 healthy subjects evaluated how quickly the stomach emptied following a meal of 300 grams of rice pudding. Some of the subjects ate rice pudding seasoned with 6 grams (1.2 tsp.) of cinnamon. The cinnamon affected a drop in the rate at which the stomach emptied from 37% to 34.5% and significantly decreased the rise in blood sugar levels after eating.

Cinnamon is also very promising as a supplement for those dealing with type II diabetes. It helps the body respond effectively to insulin. Specifically, cinnamon stimulates insulin receptors as well as inhibits an enzyme that inactivates them. The result is a significant improvement in the cells' ability to use glucose. Human, animal, and test tube research is growing evaluating the impact of cinnamon on blood sugar levels. One 40 day study evaluated 60 Pakistani volunteers with type II diabetes who were not taking insulin. The participants were divided into six groups. 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 18-29% drop in blood sugar. Cholesterol levels were lowered 7-27% and triglycerides were lowered 23-30%. Blood sugar levels began to increase when cinnamon was no longer administered on a daily basis. Cinnamon is noted as a valuable tool in managing blood sugar levels as well as enhancing cardiovascular health.

Cinnamon as an Antioxidant

Cinnamon is a potent antioxidant and should be recognized for its ability to help protect cells and scavenge the body of harmful free radicals. One study compared cinnamon to six other antioxidant spices (anise, ginger, licorice, mint, nutmeg and vanilla). Cinnamon prevented oxidation more effectively than all other spices listed with the exception of mint. Cinnamon was also compared to chemical food preservatives (BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole), BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene), and propyl gallate), and performed better as a preservative than all listed chemicals.

Cinnamon and Brain Function

The smell of cinnamon is not only refreshing and soothing; it can also help stimulate brain function. Dr. P. Zoladz presented research on April 24, 2004, at the annual meeting of the Association for Chemoreception Sciences, in Sarasota, FL concerning cinnamon and brain function. His study found that chewing cinnamon flavored gum or just smelling cinnamon enhanced study participants' cognitive processing. During a computer-based test, the smell of cinnamon improved participants' scores on tasks related to attention processes, virtual recognition memory, working memory, and visual-motor speed. Participants in the study were exposed to four odorant conditions: no odor, peppermint odor, jasmine, and cinnamon. Cinnamon emerged as the leader in improving cognitive function. The results of these studies are causing researchers to pursue the potential use of cinnamon in aiding cognition in the elderly, individuals with test-anxiety, and possibly even patients with diseases that lead to cognitive decline.

Cinnamon and its Anti-clotting Effects

The component in cinnamon called Cinnamaldehyde has been well-researched for its effects on blood platelets. Platelets in the blood are designed to clump together, or to clot, under emergency circumstances (like physical injury) as a way to stop bleeding. However, as platelets cycle through the body, they can stick together and cause a lack of proper blood flow. The cinnaldehyde in cinnamon helps prevent unwanted clumping of blood platelets. Cinnamon inhibits the release of an inflammatory fatty acid called arachidonic acid from platelet membranes and reduces the formation of an inflammatory messaging molecule called thromboxane A2. Cinnamon is considered an excellent anti-inflammatory because it is able to decrease the release of arachidonic acid from cell membranes.

Cinnamon as an Anti-microbial

The essential oils in cinnamon have an anti-microbial property. Research has shown that cinnamon is able to help stop and prevent the development of bacteria and fungi and yeast Candida. In some cases, cinnamon was able to stop yeasts that were resistant to anti-fungal medications such as fluconazole. Also, the addition of cinnamon to foods works as a natural preservative to make food last longer.

Side Effects

There are no known negative side effects of using cinnamon when used in moderation. It is recommended that you take cinnamon capsules or extract or add cinnamon to food and drinks for flavoring and health benefits.

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