The Health Benefits and Potential Uses of Cinnamon

KOMPAS.com – Cinnamon is an aromatic spice that comes from the bark of several species of the Cinnamomum tree.

To get cinnamon, the bark of the Cinnamomum tree has to go through a drying process which naturally causes it to curl.

The bark rolls are what we know as cinnamon today, and can be further processed into cinnamon powder.

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Reporting from the Verywell Health page, there are several types of cinnamon which are usually divided into two categories:

Ceylon: the type known as real cinnamon, this is the most expensive type of cinnamon. Cassia: common in most food products that contain cinnamon, and this type of cinnamon is less expensive.

The distinctive taste and aroma of cinnamon comes from an essential oil called cinnamaldehyde. This essential oil is believed to have antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.

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Cinnamon also has a significant antioxidant content, higher than a number of other spices.

Although cinnamon is commonly known as a food ingredient, in fact it has long been used in traditional medicine and food preservation.

In addition, a number of studies have also looked at the potential effects of cinnamon on sugar levels.

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The potential benefits of cinnamon for lowering blood sugar

Quoted from the Healthline website, cinnamon is known for its potential benefits to lower blood sugar levels.

In addition to its beneficial effects on insulin resistance, cinnamon may lower blood sugar through several other mechanisms.

First, cinnamon has been shown to lower the amount of sugar that enters the bloodstream after a meal.

It does this by interfering with many digestive enzymes, which slows down the breakdown of carbohydrates in a person’s digestive tract.

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Second, compounds in cinnamon can mimic the effects of insulin to increase the uptake of sugar into cells.

Several human studies show that cinnamon can lower fasting blood sugar levels and increase hemoglobin A1c.

A review of 16 studies concluded that cinnamon significantly reduced fasting blood sugar levels and insulin resistance compared to placebo in people with type 2 diabetes and prediabetes.

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Other studies have also found that cinnamon can lower hemoglobin A1c, which is a measure of long-term blood sugar control.

Cinnamon can reduce hemoglobin A1c in type 2 diabetics by 0.27-0.83 percent while reducing fasting blood sugar levels by up to 52.2 milligrams per deciliter.

According to another review of 11 studies, cinnamon supplementation can cause small reductions in fasting blood sugar and hemoglobin A1c levels.

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2023-09-03 04:15:00
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