5 Health Benefits of Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a beautiful spice – it’s heady aroma is a favourite in all sorts of cooking and it’s been used in ayuverdic medicine for years.

It’s my favourite spice and I add it to lots of my daily food. The natural sweetness that cinnamon brings to dishes can help you reduce the sugar content of food as well.

Did you know that it also has a lot of health benefits? Here are 5 reasons to include cinnamon in your diet.

1. It’s high in antioxidants. Cinnamon contains high levels of polyphenols which help protect the body from aging and diseases caused by free radicals and oxidation.

2. It lowers blood sugar. Cinnamon works by helping with lowering blood sugar and helping insulin resistance.

3. It’s anti-microbial. The oil in cinnamon helps inhibit the growth of pathogens.

4. It’s anti-inflammatory. This means that it helps fight inflammation in the body and prevent disease.

5. It may help neurological disorders. Problems  like Parkinsons and Alzehimers can be improved and prevented with cinnamon.

Want to read more of the science? Check out this pub-med article.

What about the quality?

So, we know cinnamon is awesome, but it’s really important you get use a good quality, true cinnamon to get the best benefits. There are two types of cinnamon – Ceylon and Cassia. Cinnamon Cassia is the one most commonly found in the supermarket. It contains a higher level of coumarin, a naturally occurring compound that can cause liver damage in high levels. For the best health benefits, source a Ceylon Cinnamon (or true cinnamon).

Did you know that supermarket cinnamon undergo radiation before selling? It’s a process to kill bacteria and increase the shelf life of food. Unfortunately, it can also damage the nutrients as well.

Some cinnamon can contain additives and fillers and it’s source can be questionable in regards to growing conditions, pesticides and ethics of the workers.

You all know I am a huge fan of Cyndi O’Meara from Changing Habits and I am an affiliate partner. Well I was pretty excited when she announced at her seminar that she was bringing out an organic Ceylon Cinnamon to her range. As usual, she has researched tirelessly to stock a quality product – she often says that her motives are somewhat selfish in that she wants the quality products to stock her own pantry and feed her family!!

The Changing Habits Organic Ceylon Cinnamon is sourced from Sri Lanka. It’s organically grown and non-irradiated without any fillers, additives or preservatives. It’s also naturally sun-dried and freshly ground and packed immediately to maintain the natural oils. It’s beautiful – the flavour is intense and the it smells amazing! You can read more about it and buy online here.

How do you add it to your diet? Here are some ideas for you:

♥ Add a dash to your morning porridge, muesli or bircher muesli. When I make my home-made muesli, I add several tablespoons of cinnamon.

♥ Add to your smoothies! It works well with any flavours, but particularly good in this banana protein smoothie.

♥ Add it to your bliss balls!

♥ Add it to cakes and biscuits. My Fig, Cinnamon and Pecan Biccies are delish!

♥ Chai has many gorgeous spices, but cinnamon is a huge part of the flavour. Try my Choc Chai Syrup. 

♥ Cinnamon also works well in savoury dishes. Add to curries, sprinkle on roast pumpkin, use it to put a yummy crust on meat!

♥ For daily benefits, you can just add it to your cup of tea, coffee or cocoa. Sometimes I just like it with a warm milk and a dash of vanilla paste. Mmm!

Don’t be afraid to be liberal with it – it’s not an overpowering spice. What is your favourite way to use cinammon?