Can you name the main topping on banoffee pie, added to chai lattes and rolls? Let us answer that for you- it’s cinnamon!
Cinnamon is a versatile spice that’s loved worldwide for its taste and ability to balance other flavours. It’s so loved that it accounted for 18% of the total imports in the European market during 2021.
That’s a lot! But the reason for the high demand worldwide isn’t just the tasty flavour cinnamon provides.
In fact, there’s a more significant reason, and that’s the health benefits of cinnamon. In honour of National Cinnamon Day 2024, we’ve decided to celebrate the cinnamon benefits for health. Learn about them in this post!
What is cinnamon?
You likely know what cinnamon is, but how much do you know about this spice? Well, in short, it’s a spice from the inner bark of a Sri Lankan tree. Typically, harvesters scrape off several outer layers to get to the wet inner back of the tree. They then let the bark dry for several hours until it naturally curls into quills or sticks, then cut it into pieces and sold as the spice we love.
6 cinnamon benefits for health
When it comes to cinnamon’s benefits for health, they’re abundant, and more scientific research is constantly being published to support this spice. Here are 6 main benefits of cinnamon:
1. High in antioxidants
Cinnamon is rich in antioxidants, especially polyphenols. These help protect your body from oxidative stress caused by free radicals. Research shows that taking cinnamon as a supplement can significantly increase the number of antioxidants in white blood cells, reducing inflammation markers such as C-reactive protein. It’s also high in anti-inflammatory compounds, helping reduce your risk of contracting diseases linked to chronic inflammation.
2. It may help with insulin sensitivity
Insulin is an essential hormone that helps regulate metabolism and energy usage. Another important role it plays is transporting blood glucose from the bloodstream into cells. However, if you have type 2 diabetes or a metabolic syndrome, your insulin resistance may be inhibited.
While more studies need to be conducted, research shows that cinnamon could potentially reduce insulin resistance. By helping increase insulin sensitivity, cinnamon can help support blood sugar levels and control.
3. Helps lower blood sugar levels
One of the main benefits of cinnamon for health is that it can help decrease blood sugar levels. In particular it helps lower the amount of sugar that enters your bloodstream after you’ve eaten. Cinnamon helps slow down the breakdown of carbohydrates in your digestive tract by interfering with several digestive enzymes.
There’s also a compound in cinnamon that tends to mimic the effects of insulin, increasing uptake in cells (slightly similar to the previous point). Research even supports this, revealing that cinnamon may help lower fasting blood sugar levels.
4. Could help prevent Alzheimer’s disease
Animal studies have revealed that cinnamon may lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Cinnamon contains an extract known as CEppt, which includes powerful properties that prevent the onset of symptoms from developing.
Mice who’ve received an extract of CEppt have been shown to increase their abilities to think and reason. While there have been positive animal studies, more research is needed in animals and humans to confirm this.
5. Might protect against cancer
Another major advantage of cinnamon is that it’s been widely studied for its cancer prevention benefits. Although the research is limited to test tubes and animals, it has been positive so far.
In particular, it helps by reducing cancer cell growth and stopping blood vessel formation in tumours. Cinnamon is believed to kill cancer cells, making it a great preventative. One study conducted in mice with ovarian cancer discovered that a compound in cinnamon, cinnamaldehyde, may block certain proteins linked to cancer growth.
6. Could reduce the risk of bacteria and fungal infections
The compound we mentioned in the last point, cinnamaldehyde, might be beneficial against different types of infection. Studies have shown that it may slow the growth of bad bacteria such as Salmonella and Listeria. Moreover, test-tube studies have shown that cinnamon oil may help kill fungi that trigger respiratory tract infections.
3 Cinnamon teas to try
While you can purchase cinnamon as a spice for savoury and dessert dishes, sometimes it can be time-consuming to create from scratch. One way of quickly obtaining the benefits of cinnamon is by drinking cinnamon-infused herbal teas. Here are three of our herbal teas to try:
Turmeric & Cinnamon
First up is our Turmeric and cinnamon herbal tea. It’s a caffeine-free herbal tea that combines a range of benefits. Turmeric is a powerful herb that can help maintain liver, immune, joint, and bone health.Cinnamon helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels and strengthens the body. Both herbs help support blood circulation and heart function. Get cosy in the warmth of your home and Turmeric and cinnamon this winter!
Liquorice & Cinnamon
Another cinnamon herbal tea we love is liquorice and cinnamon. This caffeine-free herbal tea has an earthy flavour that is tasty and full of health benefits. The lliquoriceinside this tea is linked to helping support mental function, soothing your upper respiratory tract, and supporting your immune system—essential benefits for this winter. Liquorice helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels, supports blood circulation, and strengthens the body. Overall, limonium and cinnamon can have an invigorating effect on your well-being this winter.
NutraHead
Finally, our premium blend tea NutraHead is also a fantastic herbal blend to consider. It contains 17.% cinnamon alongside a range of other healthy natural herbs such as lavender, peppermint, willow bark, passion flower, ginger, rhodiola, feverfew, and green tea. These herbs in NutraHead help support relaxation, are high in antioxidants, and aid in blood circulation, making it a perfect tea to gather moments of calm.
Conclusion
In conclusion, cinnamon has many health benefits. Some of these include lowering blood sugar levels, being high in antioxidants, reducing insulin sensitivity, protecting against cancer, and possibly preventing Alzheimer’s disease.
To reap all the benefits, you don’t need to always use the spice or look for cinnamon-infused meals. One of the easiest ways is to drink herbal teas such as Turmeric & Cinnamon, Liquorice & Cinnamon, and NutraHead. To know more about adding herbal teas to your diet, check out our post on the benefits of herbal tea.
