Cinnamon is just a delicious spice that makes you think of holidays and delicious treats, right? Wrong! Cinnamon is actually a superfood with a wide variety of benefits backed by scientific research and years of use in ayurvedic medicine.

But before you move your cinnamon from your spice cabinet to your medicine cabinet there are a few things you should know first.

A Tale of Two Cinnamons

The first thing you need to know about supplementing with cinnamon is that not all cinnamon is created equal. There are a few different types of cinnamon but the most common form of cinnamon is cassia. Cassia cinnamon is probably what’s in your spice cabinet right now and it’s usually just referred to as cinnamon.

The other form of cinnamon is called ceylon cinnamon sometimes referred to as true cinnamon. So which form of cinnamon is best? Well ceylon cinnamon has been studied extensively and shown to have many natural benefits without much in the way of side effects.

Cassia cinnamon on the other hand contains large amounts of a toxic substance called coumarin. While cassia cinnamon might not be toxic when eaten in smaller amount, it has the potential to cause health problems if taken as a supplement for prolonged periods of time. Because cassia cinnamon contains 1,000 times more coumarin than ceylon cinnamon, ceylon is the recommended choice for healthy supplementation.

So while you don’t need to throw out your old cinnamon next time you make snickerdoodles, it’s not a good idea to start supplementing daily with it. A vegetable capsule form of ceylon cinnamon is a great option so that you don’t have to worry about choking down spoonfuls of dry cinnamon every morning.

Why Cinnamon is So Awesome

Like I mentioned before, cinnamon has been used for thousands of years in ayurvedic medicine – one of the most powerful mind-body health systems originating in India. And once upon a time cinnamon was considered more valuable than gold “a gift fit for kings and monarchs” because of the many health benefits that it provides.

So, what makes cinnamon so awesome?

A few things actually.

Cinnamaldehyde is the organic compound found in high amounts in cinnamon oil. Researchers have studied cinnamaldehyde for its antibacterial and antifungal properties.

Antioxidants can be found in large amounts in ceylon cinnamon. Antioxidants are important to fight free-radicals, which are the cause of signs of aging and cancer among other health issues.

Fiber can help you feel fuller, support weight loss, lower cholesterol and support health digestion among other benefits. There are 14.9g of fiber per ounce of cinnamon.

5 Benefits of Cinnamon

Might Reduce Heart Health Risk Factors

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. Scary, I know. That’s why it’s worth talking about simple ways in which we can reduce our risks of being affected. Obviously diet and exercise are the primary ways in which we can take care of our hearts but some people are just predisposed to high cholesterol and other risk factors like high-blood pressure and high triglycerides.

Cinnamon has been studied for its ability to reduce some of these risk factors like cholesterol and blood pressure. Studies have shown that cinnamon can help to reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol while leaving HDL (good) cholesterol alone.

Blood pressure was shown to be significantly reduced in individuals who supplemented with cinnamon. Keep in mind though that cinnamon isn’t a medication and should not be used to replace any prescription medication.

May Help Reduce the Risk of Cancer

The powerful antioxidant properties plus the cinnamaldehyde found in cinnamon make it a promising preventative for cancer. Antioxidants fight free-radicals and oxidative stress which can cause damage and mutation of cell DNA. These damaged and mutated cells basically run haywire which is what cancer is, your cells running amok.

Cinnamon shows promise in causing cell apoptosis. That pretty means that the cancer cells self-destruct. This benefit stems specifically from the cinnamaldehyde found in cinnamon.

Early studies also reveal that cinnamon increases antioxidant enzyme activity. Test tube studies and studies among mice have shown that cinnamon is a potent activator. It activates detoxifying enzymes in the colon as well as antioxidants.

Shows Promising Anti-Inflammatory Effects

As we begin to understand more and more about inflammation, the more we realize just how much of a problem it truly is. It’s important to understand that inflammation is a necessary response in the body for healing but too much is a bad thing, a very bad thing. In fact some scientists are beginning to believe that inflammation is essentially the root of all disease in the human body.

According to Harvard Medical School, “Research is showing that chronic inflammation may be the common factor in many diseases.”

That’s why reducing excess inflammation throughout the body has become such a focus of many health experts.

Cinnamon has 7 different flavenoid compounds that have shown to be very effective in helping to reduce inflammation.

Supports Neurological and Cognitive Health

While a bad heart can be replaced, the brain can’t be. Neurological and cognitive diseases are some of the most devastating and damaging.

While there is a ton of research being done to reverse the effects of diseases like Parkinson’s and alzheimer’s we have yet to find a cure. Which makes caring for the health of our brain and taking steps to prevent deterioration are so important.

Cinnamon contains so many anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that it’s no surprise that these benefits extend to our most irreplaceable organ. Some research suggests that cinnamon can help prevent or put off diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. In addition it might also help to improve memory and cognitive performance.

Assists in Maintaining Healthy Blood Sugar and Weight

One of the biggest, most promising benefits of cinnamon are those for weight and blood sugar. The issues of weight and blood sugar are linked, let’s review why that is.

When we eat a healthy diet of carbs, fat, and protein our body converts the carbs into glucose. The glucose is then escorted out of the blood stream to be used as energy by insulin. Unfortunately when we eat a diet that is very high in carbs and sugar the amount of glucose in our blood stream is like white noise, there’s just too much of it and our bodie’s don’t respond how they’re supposed to. Excess glucose isn’t used as energy instead it’s stored as fat. This is called insulin resistance.

Cinnamon has been shown to help reduce insulin resistance and allow our bodies to maintain healthy blood sugar levels on their own. Our little miracle spice helps to open receptors so that the body can use carbs are energy – like it’s supposed to – instead of storing it as fat.

This is why you’ll find cinnamon as an ingredient for many carb blocking supplements. Unfortunately many of these supplements don’t include proper amounts in order to get the promised benefits. That’s why I recommend taking a straight cinnamon supplement since you exactly how much cinnamon you’re getting without any other useless filler ingredients.

The Takeaway

Ceylon cinnamon has a wide variety of health benefits that are easy to take advantage of. It’s not the stuff you’ll find in your spice cabinet, it’s rarer, higher-quality, and doesn’t carry the risk of toxicity of other forms of cinnamon.

With so many benefits ceylon cinnamon is a simple choice to make. At Nicoya Nutrition we provide high-quality, natural, 100% ceylon cinnamon supplements to help you fight health issues with good nutrition.

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