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Helpful Tips
How To Use Cinnamon For Its Amazing Health Benefits
Historically, cinnamon has been used to support health in many cultures, such as traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, and Western herbal medicine. There is even documentation that medieval herbalists used it for coughs and sore throats. In a practical sense, it was also used to help preserve food due to its high antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, which could stop food-spoiling bacteria from growing.
How much cinnamon should I use?
Here are 5 health benefits of cinnamon
1. Cinnamon is high in antioxidants
Cinnamon is loaded with powerful antioxidants, such as polyphenols, which protect the body from oxidative damage caused by free radicals. Free radical damage can occur from the environment (e.g. sunburn), from your diet or from inflammation. Antioxidants are crucial in helping to reduce the risk of chronic conditions and promoting overall health.
2. Cinnamon has anti-inflammatory properties
Chronic inflammation is the root cause of many conditions. Acute inflammation helps as a protective method when we injure ourselves; however, chronic long-term inflammation can lead to poor health and fatigue, as the body struggles to heal and expends a lot of energy to get back to baseline health.
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Cinnamon contains compounds like cinnamaldehyde that have potent anti-inflammatory effects. Cinnamon is used in Ayurveda when there is congestion (excess mucus or fluid). It helps support and move circulation and helps with digestion.
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Cinnamon can also be a key component in supporting gastric inflammation. Cinnamaldehyde, has been shown to help with inflammation from Helicobacter pylori infections.
3. Cinnamon can help to regulate blood sugar levels
Cinnamon has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and lower blood sugar levels, making it an excellent addition to the diet for those managing blood sugar imbalances, PCOS, diabetes or looking to maintain stable energy levels. It can help slow the breakdown of carbohydrates in the digestive tract, reducing the spike in blood sugar after meals.
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4. Cinnamon can support heart health
Cinnamon's antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties may contribute to heart health by reducing the risk of heart disease. It has been found to lower levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides while maintaining or even improving levels of HDL (good) cholesterol.
5. Cinnamon has antimicrobial properties
Cinnamon has natural antimicrobial properties that can help fight bacterial and fungal infections. It has been particularly effective against Candida yeast infections and certain strains of bacteria like Salmonella and E. coli. Cinnamon has been used to help with food preservation for years due to its antimicrobial abilities.
Hi Serena, thanks for your question. They don’t have a lot of difference medicinally. True cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) is what we use in our products as it is higher in volatile oils. High doses of cassia cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia) can be toxic due to the content of coumarin.
Thanks, I am wondering between the properties of ceylon cinnamon vs cassia. You only refer to cassia in this blog. Are the two interchangeable? Why do people call Ceylon the “proper” cinnamon? Which do you use in your products? Thank you!