Cinnamon is a tree generally found in India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Egypt and Brazil. Its inner bark is dried and widely used as a spice. It is generally used in savoury foods. It is employed as a condiment in some foods. It is also used as a natural food preservative. Cinnamon has very high health benefits than any other spices. It has anti- bacterial, anti- fungal and anti- parasitic properties. So it is widely used to remove oral yeast infections, vaginal yeast infections, head lice and stomach ulcers. It is used for getting relief from flu or cold because of its anti- inflammatory property. Cinnamon has the capability to reduce leukemia cancer cells with its anti – blood clotting property.
If you look at cinnamon benefits, It is an excellent source of calcium, iron and magnesium. Calcium and fiber content in cinnamon helps to remove bile, hence to prevent damages to colon cells. Its fiber content also gives relief from bowel syndrome and constipation. The active principles in cinnamon increases the gastro intestinal secretion thereby increase the digestion. Cinnamon is an antioxidant spice. Nowadays because of cinnamon health benefits, it is used by people all over the world. It is used for treating variety of diseases such as diabetes, respiratory diseases, and blood impurities and so on. Cinnamon is useful for diabetic patients especially for people who suffered from type 2 diabetics. It lowers cholesterol and increase blood glucose level in such people. Cinnamon is used as a mouth freshener and also used to treat the toothache. It is also used to reduce memory loss and to boost the activity of brain.
As it consists of calcium and fiber, it resists the heart diseases to a limit. It is used to strengthen the cardiovascular system. Cinnamon helps people who suffer high blood pressure and coronary artery diseases. It is found that cinnamon is also useful for women’s health because it helps them to get relief from menstrual cramping and many other problems. Regular consumption of cinnamon after child birth delays the menstruation and helps to avoid conception. And it helps to increase secretion of breast milk. Cinnamon offers beauty treatment also. It removes the blood impurities and hence used to remove pimples. The itching caused by insect bites is reducing by using a paste of cinnamon and honey. It contains vitamin A, niacin, pyridoxine and many other nutrients which help for various purposes.
Four varieties of cinnamon are available. But only two of them are popular and mostly used. They are Ceylon cinnamon (cinnamomum zeylanicum) and cassia cinnamon (cinnamomum cassia). The health benefits of these two don’t seem to be different. Ceylon cinnamon is also called “True cinnamon”. It is sweeter than cassia cinnamon and expensive. The quills of the Ceylon are softer than the cassia. Cinnamons are widely used in foods. It is used while the preparation of chocolate, some of the desserts, spicy candies and sweet dishes. As these dishes are preferable by most of the children, they get the valuable cinnamon health benefits by consuming it. Since cinnamon has high health benefits, try to include sufficient cinnamons in diet.