Before history was recorded, cinnamon was used as a commodity. In fact, it was considered so unique and precious that it was highly regarded as an appropriate gift for heads of state and royalty.
Cinnamon the Antioxidant
The Health Benefits of Cinnamon are still in debate; but we know cinnamon is high in antioxidants. Cinnamon contains some of the most diverse and effectual antioxidants of all plants, making it a vital food in the control of oxidative stress. This makes it a practical alternative in treating a wide range of chronic diseases that are linked with oxidative damage from free radicals. A common means of cinnamon intake as an antioxidant is tea made from the bark.
Here is a list of some of the identified antioxidants contained in cinnamon: camphene, proanthocyanidins, linalyl-acetate, myrcene, gamma-terpinene, methyl-eugenol, epicatechin, coumaric acid, caffeic acid, isoeugenol, mannitol, phenol and vanillan.
For Pregnant women, undue amounts of cinnamon should not be taken as an herbal supplement.
A Diabetes Alternative
Cinnamon is a dominant inducer of insulin sensitivity making it an effectual treatment for Type II diabetes. Though cinnamon has been reported to have amazing pharmacological effects in the treatment of Type II diabetes, the plant substance used in the study was mostly from cassia. I’ll tell you more about cassia in a moment.
In 2003, a study published in Diabetes Care, outlined a test group of sixty men and women. The participants were given doses of 1, 3 or 6 grams of cinnamon daily in a pill form. This would be the equivalent of about one fourth to one teaspoon of cinnamon.
Forty days later, all 3 test quantities of cinnamon lowered fasting blood glucose levels by 18 - 29%, triglycerides 23 - 30%, “bad” or LDL cholesterol by 7 - 27%, and cholesterol in total by 12 - 26%.
Cinnamon versus Cassia
The name cinnamon is properly used to refer to Ceylon cinnamon, also known as “true cinnamon” from the botanical name C. zeylanicum.
The related Cassia (Cinnamomum aromaticum), Saigon Cinnamon (Cinnamomum loureiroi), and Cinnamomum burmannii are sometimes sold as true cinnamon, and other times denoted from true cinnamon as “Chinese cinnamon”, “Vietnamese cinnamon”, or “Indonesian cinnamon.”
Ceylon cinnamon, uses only the thin inner bark, and is considered to be not as strong as cassia. Cassia is said to have a much stronger flavor than cinnamon.
In supermarkets in the United States, all of the powdered cinnamon sold is actually cassia. Cassia is also the kind of cinnamon normally found in supplement form. It naturally contains a compound called coumarin.
Coumarin is found in other plants like celery, chamomile, sweet clover, and parsley. Coumarin is a toxic element and European health agencies have of late warned against consuming large amounts of cassia. Coumarin is acknowledged to cause liver and kidney damage when consumed in high concentrations. True Ceylon cinnamon has insignificant amounts of coumarin.
Always check with your health practitioner before changing your diet.