The Sweet Scent of Cinnamon
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| Cinnamon Tree |
The history of cinnamon, however, goes back much further
than Thanksgiving. Cinnamon is one of
the world’s oldest spices, having been in use since 2700 B.C. In the first century, 350 grams of cinnamon was
valued at a little over five kilograms (11 pounds) of silver. To the ancient Egyptians, it was more
valuable than solid gold and was used in the embalming process of the pharaohs,
and the Arabs controlled their source of cinnamon with their lives, telling
bizarre stories to scare of potential rivals in the spice trade.
As it turns out, cinnamon originally grew in Ceylon (now Sri
Lanka) and along the coast of India. To
control their monopoly, the Dutch had the cinnamon in India destroyed, but they
later lost ownership of Ceylon to France, which lost it to England in 1795. However, by the mid-1800s, the growth of
cinnamon had expanded into other tropical climates, such as Java, Sumatra,
Borneo, Guyana, South America and the West Indies.
The bark of the cinnamon evergreen tree curls into quills. Cinnamon sticks are taken from the upper
branches, while ground cinnamon comes from the lower and older sections of the
tree where the flavor is stronger.
Much to my surprise, Americans typically consume the Chinese
variety, a different variety called cassia.
Harold McGee, author of On Food
and Cooking, describes cassia as “typically thick and hard, darker in color
and much stronger in flavor, bitter and somewhat harsh and burning, as in the
American “red-hot” candy.” This version
of cinnamon works better in savory dishes, such as those made with curry, while
the milder Ceylon version of cinnamon works better in pies, cakes and puddings.
Health Benefits of Cinnamon
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| Cassia and Ceylon Cinnamon |
So what are the benefits of cinnamon besides flavoring our food
and drinks? One that most people hear
about is how cinnamon helps reduce high blood pressure. This does appear to be
the case for people with type 2 diabetes or are pre-diabetic with the systolic
blood pressure decreasing for those taking 1,200 mg per day. However, it does not appear to be effective
as a sole treatment, but as part of an overall plan including diet and
exercise. When cinnamon is combined with
magnesium, the results may lead to blood pressure reduction up to 25mm Hg. This reduction is lower than any current hypertension
medication can achieve without side effects.
A better plan would be to add cinnamon to your food and
drink, such as tea, oatmeal, yogurt, salad and so on. Adding cinnamon to hot chocolate made with
real cocoa is a tasty way to help control high blood pressure. Real cocoa is another gift from nature that
naturally controls blood pressure, so if you are looking for something healthy
and sweet, have a cup of hot cocoa with a sprinkle of cinnamon!
As with high blood pressure, cinnamon has also been found to
have a healthy benefit in reducing blood glucose levels and cholesterol in people
with type 1 or 2 diabetes. One-eighth of
a teaspoon of cinnamon triples insulin efficiency according to James A Duke,
Ph.D. (retired botanist and author of The
CRC Handbook of Medicinal Herbs.)
Other health benefits of cinnamon are:
·
Cassia cinnamon contains a chemical called
cinnamaldehyde which can help in fighting against bacterial and fungal
infections and has been used to prevent food spoilage.
In 1974, an experiment was conducted to show the power of cinnamon over most yeasts and fungi. Slices of white, raisin, rye and whole wheat breads without the normal mold inhibitors were subjected to a variety of toxic molds. The molds grew quickly on all the breads except for the raisin bread and scientists discovered that just 20 mg of cinnamon per ml of a yeast-extract and sucrose broth inhibited 97% - 99% of these molds.
In 1974, an experiment was conducted to show the power of cinnamon over most yeasts and fungi. Slices of white, raisin, rye and whole wheat breads without the normal mold inhibitors were subjected to a variety of toxic molds. The molds grew quickly on all the breads except for the raisin bread and scientists discovered that just 20 mg of cinnamon per ml of a yeast-extract and sucrose broth inhibited 97% - 99% of these molds.
·
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) – a neurological
scientist at the Rush University Medical Enter reported cinnamon may help stop
the destructive process of MS, eliminating the need for some expensive and
unpleasant drugs.
·
Reduce the negative effects of high fats meals –
Researchers at Penn State found diets rich in cinnamon can help reduce the body’s
negative response to eating high fat meals.
·
Like natural peppermint, cinnamon can aid in digestion
and gastrointestinal problems and calm the stomach, so enjoy some cinnamon tea
after dinner!
·
Urinary infections / Vaginal and oral (thrush) yeast
infections – a study out of Germany showed cinnamon completely suppresses the
Escherichia coli bacteria which is the cause of most urinary-tract infections. Cinnamon also suppresses the Candida Albicans
fungus responsible for vaginal yeast infections.
·
Cold and flu symptoms. Add a sprinkle of cinnamon to a lemon, water
and honey mixture to make a hot tea. A touch
of ginger can also help. (Ginger's Amazing Healing Powers)
·
Cinnamon is beneficial against flatulent
dyspepsia, dyspepsia with nausea, intestinal colic and digestive atony, as well
as nausea, diarrhea and vomiting.
·
The tannins in cinnamon have an astringent
action, helping to stem nose bleeds, as well as heavy periods.
·
Fungi and virus fighter – cinnamon oil and
extract are:
o
Anti-fungal
o
Anti-bacterial
o
Anti-parasitic
o
Anti-head lice
o
Kills helicobacter pylori (bacteria that causes
stomach ulcers)
·
Arthritis / aching muscles – cinnamon stimulates
blood circulation, especially to the toes and fingers.
It is obvious cinnamon has many benefits, but excessive
amounts can be dangerous to the liver.
Be sure to monitor the amount of cassia cinnamon you use or use the
Ceylon cinnamon instead. Anything used
in excess can potentially cause problems, but the amounts used in normal
cooking should not pose any threat. I
intend to enjoy my cinnamon hot chocolate and apple pie!
Warnings:
1.
The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
published a study reporting that commercially available cinnamon (cassia)
contains substantial amounts of coumarin, a naturally occurring organic
compound than can cause liver damage if used in excess (more than 2 grams per
day). The Ceylon cinnamon only contains
trace amount of coumarin, so is safer for use.
As with anything, moderation in use is safer for anyone.
2.
People with cancer that is affected by hormone
levels, such as breast cancer, should not take cinnamon supplements.
As always, talk to your doctor before taking any supplements
to ensure there are no interactions with your medications that may cause
problems.
These
statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This
product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.
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