Dietary benefits of cinnamon

Cinnamon is one of the most popular types of spices and the good thing is that it is available throughout the entire year. The spice is so popular due to its sweet, fragrant and warm taste. It has also been used for numerous different types of medicinal purposes for many centuries now. The cinnamon component we use is actually the ground brown bark of the cinnamon tree. When it is purchased in its dried form it is referred to as the ground powder or quill. There are two main varieties of cinnamon and those are Ceylon cinnamon and Chinese cinnamon. They have similar flavors, but the Ceylon cinnamon is much more refined, a little bit sweeter and much more difficult to find in most areas of the world. Most health benefits of cinnamon are derived from the three main components which are present in the essential oil of the cinnamon bark. The components are cinnamyl alcohol, cinnamyl acetate and cinnamaldehyde, along with certain other types of volatile chemical compounds.

Health Benefits of CinnamonThe aforementioned component called cinnamaldehyde has been the subject of numerous different types of scientific studies and researches which have shown that it is very efficient in preventing unwanted clumping of blood platelets. Blood platelets are blood constituents which tend to clump together under various types of emergency circumstances such as injuries. Due to all these facts, cinnamon may come in very handy when it comes to reducing various sorts of inflammatory conditions and lowering the release of arachidonic acid. Cinnamon can also be considered as an anti microbial type of food, which has been confirmed by numerous scientific studies. It is very efficient in stopping the growth of different types of bacteria and fungi, including the yeast known by the name of Candida. Cinnamon can also be used as a very potent alternative to all the traditional types of food preservatives. It can also be used to enhance the flavor of different food items.

Those who suffer from type 2 diabetes should pay extra attention because cinnamon may be highly beneficial for their medical condition. Cinnamon is known for being very efficient in normalizing the levels of sugar in the blood by simply improving the sufferer’s ability to respond to insulin. Cinnamon is also very efficient in fighting off the free radicals and reducing the damage they cause. It may also come in very handy when it comes to reducing the levels of bad cholesterol in the blood and increasing the levels of good cholesterol in the blood.