Cinnamon is a spice that I use every day in my breakfasts and it is really delicious. For thousands of years, cinnamon has been widely recognized for its medicinal properties. In recent years, science has been able to confirm what many people have known for centuries. I present 10 benefits cinnamon has for our health, we go with them:
Curative Properties and Benefits of Canela
1. The Canela is High in a Substance With Medicinal Properties
Cinnamon is a spice that is made from the inner bark of Cinnamomum trees. It has been used as an ingredient throughout history, since ancient Egypt. It used to be hard to get and it was very valuable, it came to be considered a great gift for kings. Nowadays, cinnamon is cheap, you have it in any supermarket and it is used in many recipes. We mainly have 2 types of cinnamon:
- Ceylon Cinnamon : Also known as the authentic cinnamon.
- Cinnamon Cassia: This is the most common variety today, which most people know as “cinnamon”.
Cinnamon is made by cutting the stems of the Cinnamomum tree. The inner bark is removed to later remove the woody parts. When they are dried, strips are formed that curve into rolls, called cinnamon sticks. The sticks can be ground to form cinnamon powder. Its characteristic smell and taste of cinnamon is due to its oily part, which is very high in a compound called cinnamaldehyde. This is the compound responsible for many of the great properties that cinnamon brings to our health.
Conclusion: Cinnamon is a very popular spice today. It has a high content of a substance called cinnamaldehyde, which is responsible for its great properties.
2. The Canela is Rich of Antioxidants
“The antioxidants protect the body from oxidative damage caused by free radicals”.
Cinnamon is full of powerful antioxidants, such as polyphenols. In a study that compared the antioxidant activity of 26 spices, cinnamon ended up as the clear winner, even surpassing “superfoods”, such as garlic and oregano. In fact, its antioxidant power is so powerful that cinnamon can be used as a food preservative.
Conclusion: Cinnamon contains large amounts of polyphenols, which are powerful antioxidants.
3. The Canela has Anti-Inflammatory Properties
It is very important to control the inflammation that occurs in our body. Inflammation helps our body fight infections and repair tissue damage. However, inflammation can become a problem when it becomes chronic and is directed against our body’s own tissues. Cinnamon can be very useful in this process, some studies have shown us that the antioxidants that cinnamon has can act as powerful anti-inflammatories.
Conclusion: Cinnamon antioxidants have anti-inflammatory effects, which help reduce the risk of diseases.
4. Canela Helps Reduce the Risk of Cardiac Disease
Heart diseases are the most common cause in the world of premature death. Well, cinnamon can help reduce the risk of suffering from this type of disease. In people suffering from type 2 diabetes, 1 gram of cinnamon has positive effects on blood markers. It also reduces levels of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, while HDL cholesterol remains stable. More recently, it has been proven in a study, that a dose of cinnamon of only 120 milligrams per day can bring us the benefits discussed above. In studies with animals, it has been proven that cinnamon helps reduce blood pressure. When combined, all these factors help us reduce the risk of heart disease.
Conclusion: Cinnamon can improve some risk factors for heart disease, including cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure.
5. La Canela Helps Us Improve Insulin Sensitivity
The insulin is one of the main hormones in regulating metabolism and energy use. It is also essential for the transport of blood sugar from the bloodstream and into the cells. The problem is that there are many people who are resistant to the effects of insulin. Insulin resistance can cause serious conditions such as metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. The good news is that cinnamon can help us drastically reduce insulin resistance, helping this great hormone to do its job. By helping insulin do its job, cinnamon manages to reduce blood sugar levels, which brings us to the next point…
Conclusion: It has been shown that cinnamon helps us in an important way to improve the sensitivity to the hormone insulin.
6. Reduces Sugar Levels in Blood and has Anti-Diabetic Effect
Cinnamon is also known to reduce blood sugar levels. Apart from the beneficial effects on insulin resistance, cinnamon also helps us reduce blood sugar by different mechanisms. First, it is shown that cinnamon manages to decrease the amount of glucose that enters the bloodstream after a meal. For this, it interferes with different digestive enzymes, which slows down the decomposition of carbohydrates in the digestive tract. Second, a cinnamon compound acts on cells mimicking insulin. This greatly improves the uptake of glucose by the cells, although it acts much slower than insulin. Different studies carried out with humans have confirmed the antidiabetic effects of cinnamon, which shows that it can lower blood sugar levels when fasting by 10-29%. The effective dose is about 1-6 grams of cinnamon a day (1-2 teaspoons)
Conclusion: It has been shown that cinnamon manages to reduce blood sugar levels when fasting, and that it has a powerful antidiabetic effect by taking 1 to 6 grams a day.
7. Has Beneficial Effects on Neurodegenerative Diseases
Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by the progressive loss of the structure or function of brain cells. Two of the most common are Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Cinnamon has two compounds that seem to inhibit the accumulation of a protein called tau in the brain, which is one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease. In a study conducted with mice on the effects of Parkinson’s disease, it was found that cinnamon helped neurons, normalizing neurotransmitter levels and improving motor function. These effects must be studied more thoroughly on human beings.
Conclusion: It has been shown that cinnamon helps several improvements in Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s in animal studies.
8. Canela Protects Us Against Cancer
We all know that cancer is a serious disease, which is characterized by an uncontrolled growth of cells. Cinnamon has been studied for its potential use in the prevention and treatment of cancer. In general, the evidence is limited to testing tube experiments. Studies in animals tell us that cinnamon extracts can protect us against cancer. Cinnamon acts by reducing the growth of cancer cells and the formation of blood vessels in tumors. In addition, it also appears to be toxic to cancer cells, causing cell death. A study in mice that had colon cancer revealed that cinnamon is a potent activator of detoxifying enzymes in the colon, acting as a protector against further cancer growth. These results were confirmed by experiments carried out in test tubes, which showed that cinnamon manages to activate antioxidant responses that act as protectors in human colon cells.
Conclusion: Studies in animals and laboratory experiments indicate that cinnamon may have protective effects against cancer.
9. The Canela to Combat Bacteria and Fungal Infections
Cinnamaldehyde, the main active component of cinnamon, can help us fight different types of infections. It has been shown that cinnamon oil can effectively treat respiratory tract infections caused by fungi. It also inhibits the growth of certain bacteria, such as Listeria and Salmonella. The antimicrobial effects of cinnamon also help us prevent tooth decay and reduce bad breath. Conclusion: Cinnamaldehyde has antifungal and antibacterial properties, which help us reduce infections and fight tooth decay and bad breath.
10. La Canela Could Help Combat HIV Virus
HIV is a virus that slowly breaks our immune system, which can lead to AIDS if we do not treat it. The variety of cinnamon known as Cassia is thought to help fight HIV-1, this is the most common strain of the disease in humans. A study conducted in the laboratory looking at cells infected with HIV found that cinnamon was the most effective treatment among 69 medicinal plants that were studied. More trials in humans are needed to confirm these effects.
Conclusion: Laboratory studies have shown that cinnamon can help treat HIV-2, the main type of HIV virus in humans.
What Variety of Canela is Better
Not all cinnamon is the same. The variety of cinnamon known as Cassia contains significant amounts of a compound called coumarin, which is believed to be harmful in large doses. All types of cinnamon seem to have health benefits, but the Cassia variety can cause problems in large doses due to the content of coumarin. The other variety, Ceylon, is much better in this sense, studies show us that coumarin is much smaller than that in the Cassia variety. Unfortunately, the majority of cinnamon that we find in the markets is the Cassia variety, since it is cheaper. If you are interested in the Ceylon variety, you can find it in some health food stores.
Conclusion
Without a doubt, cinnamon is one of the most delicious and healthy spices in the world. It helps us lower blood sugar levels, reduce the risk factors for heart disease, and has a lot of health benefits. Just make sure you use the Ceylon variety, or take small doses if you use the Cassia variety.
