Health & Weight Loss Benefits Of Cinnamon
Cinnamon has long been known to have benefits for health and weight loss. For centuries, doctors have used cinnamon to treat things such as cough, sore throats, and arthritis. More research is always being done on the spice to see what other benefits it may have. Some studies are providing some very good reasons to include cinnamon in your diet.
Health & Weight Loss Benefits of Cinnamon
Combating Diabetes
According to studies done at various universities, as well as the U.S. Department of Agriculture, cinnamon could help people with type two diabetes by playing the role of an insulin substitute. The spice exhibits insulin-like activity and could prevent or even help people control diabetes.
Cinnamon is used in some of the most popular metabolic supplements because it is known to help control blood sugar levels, which can have an ever greater effect for people dealing with insulin resistance.
Moreover, controlling blood sugar levels can have a big impact on weight loss efforts.
Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that does damage to the myelin sheath that protects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. It does not have a known cause as of yet.
Cinnamon has been shown to reduce inflammation and have antioxidant effects in patients with MS. Because inflammation promotes symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis, cinnamon could be an aid at preventing flare-ups.
Sodium benzoate has been shown to lower clinical symptoms in MS by more than 70 percent, and since cinnamon is metabolized into sodium benzoate, it could have a significant benefit for people living with MS.
Slow Down Aging Of The Brain
As people get older, cognitive skills tend to slow down. Many people end up having problems with their memory and ability to think clearly.
Sodium benzoate has been shown to promote growth of new neurons in the brain and even protect existing ones. This obviously has a positive effect on maintaining a healthy brain. Also, researchers have found that an extract in cinnamon bark called CEppt, can help to inhibit the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
“The sodium benzoate produced in the body after eating cinnamon induces significant increases in the levels of a variety of chemicals in the brain called neurotrophic factors.” – Psychology Today
Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s disease affects certain nerve cells in the brain, and has an effect on movements. Parkinson’s is a progressive disease, which means that over time it gets worse.
For the same reason that cinnamon is beneficial for MS and aging of the brain, it has also been shown to be beneficial for Parkinson’s disease. One study, done by Rush Medical Center, suggested that cinnamon could reverse changes in the brain that Parkinson’s patients see. It is thought that it could be a great approach to slow down or halt progression of the disease.
Foodborne Illness
An essential oil from cinnamon, known as cinnamon cassia oil, has been shown to have a positive effect on preventing foodborne illnesses that are caused by bacteria, and has been shown to kill various strains of E.Coli bacteria.
As of now, chemical additives are added into food or packaging to control foodborne pathogens. You can find additives in coatings for packaging meat or fresh produce. Those chemicals can migrate into the food, which is causing concerns around health.
As health concerns rise, so does the need for more natural solutions. Researchers have found that cinnamon cassia oil could be a natural antibacterial agent in the food industry and help prevent food poisoning and deaths.