The Benefits of Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a simple and ancient spice that provides a wide range of health benefits. Commonly used as an additive to foods, cinnamon also carries anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties. It comes from a small tree found in South Asia and also in the Middle East and contains sources of fibre, iron and calcium.  Some of the health benefits of cinnamon are:

Blood sugar control

Protects against heart disease

Aids in digestion

Relieves diarrhea

Stop yeast infections

Lowering cholesterol

Alleviates bad breath

Helps with headache pains

Boosts brain function

You will notice a significant difference in the taste and effectiveness of cinnamon depending on the quality, variety and freshness of the product that you purchase. Cinnamon is made only from the inner bark and has a lighter texture with finer flavour. Cassia, which is a variety of cinnamon is made from the entire bark and is coarser in texture with less flavour. There are three major types of cinnamon; Chinese and Vietnamese cinnamon comes from the cassia tree, Korintje cassia comes from Indonesia, and Ceylon cinnamon comes from the actual cinnamon tree.

There are several different grades of cinnamon ranging from A to C. The B and C grades are most commonly sold in stores. The way to determine a good grade cinnamon is to find out the volatile oil content. A high grade cinnamon will contain at least 2%. It is best to use cinnamon within a 12 month period for optimum freshness.  You will know that your cinnamon is no longer fresh when you start to require larger quantities to achieve the same taste.  It only takes half a teaspoon of cinnamon a day to start seeing the health benefits. Keep in mind that cinnamon is not meant to replace your regular healthy living habits. Eating large quantities of cinnamon has been shown to have toxic effects.

There are simple ways to enjoy cinnamon in our foods such as making a hot or cold tea using honey, or stirring cinnamon into yogurt or hot cereal.  Cinnamon can be added into almost any baked treat and it can sometimes be used to add flavor when reducing sugar in a recipe.  Another notable fact to keep in mind when baking is that only cloves have a higher naturally occurring anti-inflammatory effect than cinnamon. Considering that we add this spice to so many things, it is one of those wonderful hidden foods that we don't have to feel guilty about enjoying!