WHAT ARE THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF CINNAMON?

culled from:beautyandtips.com

1. It stabilises blood sugar levels

There have been numerous studies into how cinnamon can regulate blood sugar and it is often used as a dietary aid for people with diabetes and hypoglycaemia. Even if you don’t have a problem with your blood sugar levels, cinnamon is great at smoothing out the peaks and troughs in blood sugar, which will stabilise your energy levels and your mood.

2. It is a potent natural antibiotic

Cinnamon has some very powerful anti-bacterial properties and it can be used topically and consumed as an antibiotic. Cinnamon actually makes a very good cold and flu remedy and it can also help cure sore throats.

3. Cinnamon can help with weight loss

Cinnamon can help you lose weight in two ways. Firstly, it boosts the metabolism, so that you burn off calories faster and then, its ability to regulate blood sugar levels will also help to control your appetite. It’s not a weight loss miracle, but as a part of a healthy diet, it can really help you to shed some pounds.

4. Reduces the pain of arthritis

Although the evidence for this property of cinnamon is more anecdotal, than scientifically proven, many people report that cinnamon can reduce the inflation and pain associated with arthritis.

5. Cinnamon has anti-fungal properties

Cinnamon oil is an effective way to treat fungal infections like athlete’s foot and candida. The spice has natural anti-fungal properties, but use with care, because it can cause a burning sensation and irritate sensitive skin.

6. It can protect teeth and gums

There is a very good reason why cinnamon is used in so many toothpastes and mouthwashes, and that is the spices’ anti-bacterial properties. Cinnamon fights the bacteria that causes tooth decay and gum disease and it will also freshen your breath.

7. You can use cinnamon to treat food poisoning

Cinnamon’s bacteria killing properties make it an effective treatment for food poisoning. If you drink a cup of cinnamon tea, then the spice can actually fight and kill several types of food poisoning bacteria, including e-coli.

8. It can improve your mood

Whether you eat it, or use it for aromatherapy, cinnamon has been demonstrated to be able to enhance the mood and reduce irritability. Studies are still being conducted into the effect that cinnamon has on the brain, but it is thought that it can have wide ranging effects, as a mental health supplement.

9. It reduces cholesterol

In a study conducted in 2003, the researchers tested the effects that cinnamon had, at various dosage levels, on patients’ cholesterol levels and found that the spice can significantly reduce the levels of harmful cholesterol, while leaving the levels of good cholesterol untouched.

10. Cinnamon can prevent the spread of cancer

Cancer cells feed and proliferate by taking up an excessive amount of glucose. Researches show that cinnamon can interrupt the cycles of cancerous cells, restrict their uptake of glucose and stop them from spreading further.