We all know that spices add taste and flavor to foods and cinnamon is one of the greatest spices used in Indian food and cuisines. And now what is this cinnamon? Does this have any health benefits? Of course Yes. It provides immense benefits to and it is a part of the ancient medical treatment too. Now, modern science has also recognized the importance of cinnamon and confirmed it's medicinal properties. In this article, we'll know all about cinnamon, which is indeed a wonderful spice!
What is Cinnamon?
Cinnamon is actually a spice that is made from the inner bark of the spice tree (Cinnamomum). It is a common ingredient in various dishes for a long time(in the past history) and it is a cheap and easily available spice even today! There are mainly two types of cinnamon present today and they are:
- Ceylon cinnamon:- It is actually true cinnamon that comes from the Cinnamomum zeylanicum plant, especially found in Srilanka and other tropical regions.
- Cassia cinnamon:- This type has a stronger taste and little bit cheaper than the former one. It is the most common variety that people consume nowadays.
Generally, Ceylon cinnamon is preferred in desserts due to it's sweet and subtle flavor, and the cassia cinnamon in savory dishes due to it's strong potency. However, the commercial cinnamon is a mixture of both the varieties.
How this cinnamon is obtained?
As said earlier, this cinnamon can be extracted from the inner bark of trees. First, the stems of the cinnamon trees are cut and the woody parts are removed to extract the inner bark. Later, these are dried under the sun where it forms strips that curl into rolls, generally known as cinnamon sticks. These cinnamon sticks can be finely ground to form cinnamon powder.
Now both cinnamon sticks or cinnamon powder can be used to prepare food and other variety of dishes. Usually, the flavour of cinnamon comes from the essential oils present in the bark ie, cinnamaldehyde, a compound present in the oily part and thought to be responsible for health benefits.
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| Cinnamon sticks |
Health benefits of cinnamon:-
i) It has high medicinal properties:
This cinnamon is widely known for it's medicinal properties such as anti-viral properties, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial properties. It is frequently used in Chinese and other herbal medicines because of it's soothing properties. And all these properties come from the compound cinnamaldehyde present in the cinnamon.
ii) It contains powerful antioxidants:-
Cinnamon contains large amounts of polyphenol antioxidants. It can also be used as a natural food preservative. It is the more powerful one among all the different spices because of the presence of high concentrations of antioxidants. These antioxidants help the body to protect from various diseases.
iii) It also posses prebiotic properties:-
Prebiotic properties are present in many spices and especially in cinnamon. These properties help to promote the growth of good bacteria that is beneficial to health and suppresses the growth of pathogenic bacteria. All these help to maintain a healthy gut and including spices in your diet is the best way to get it.
iv) It shows anti-inflammatory properties:-
Inflammation helps the body fight infections and repair tissue damage. The antioxidants found in cinnamon are known to have these anti-inflammatory properties which may lower the risk of various diseases.
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| cinnamon powder |
v) It helps to reduce blood pressure:-
Some studies show that the consumption of cinnamon can associate with the short-term reduction of blood pressure. Although this evidence is hopeful, there is much to research to get a confirmed result.
vi) It lowers the sugar levels and risk of type 2 diabetes:-
Well, cinnamon can show moderate effect in improving glycemic control and supports in the managing of type 2 diabetes. This cinnamon also reduces the amount of glucose that enters the bloodstream after meals. It also reduces the fasting blood sugar levels due to the anti-diabetic effect. It is recommended to take 1-6 gms or around 0.5 - 2 teaspoons per day.
vii) Other health benefits:-
- Cinnamon also reduces the risk of heart disease by reducing bad cholesterol
- This cinnamon helps to protect from cancer and can also be used as a part of it's treatment.
- It also prevents diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease (Neurodegenerative diseases)
- Cinnamon of cassia variety is thought to help fight against HIV that slowly breaks down the immune system.
Conclusion:-
Hence, this cinnamon is a wonderful spice used in food dishes and cuisines, that is full of antioxidants. It is a great spice that should be included in our daily diet because of it's numerous medicinal properties.
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