How Cinnamon is a Healthy Spice

Cinnamon and Chronic Diseases

Cinnamon and Cancer

Current research on cinnamon consumption is limited to animal studies, but results have shown strong anti-cancer properties.

  • Cinnamon contains several compounds known to combat cancer growth in breast, colon, prostate cancer cell lines. (1)

Cinnamon and Cardiovascular Disease

Animal studies show that cinnamon is a promising agent for the prevention of heart disease and stroke.

  • Cinnamon supplementation reduced total cholesterol and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and increased HDL (“good”) cholesterol. (2) Keeping LDL cholesterol levels low and HDL cholesterol levels high is crucial for combating heart attack and stroke. When HDL cholesterol levels drop and LDL cholesterol levels increase, more plaque is present in the arteries, which can buildup and eventually cause a blockage that leads to a heart attack or stroke. (3)
    • Exercise combined with cinnamon supplementation can also lead to a synergistic effect where they both increase the health benefits of the other. This shows the further promise of cinnamon as a part of a heart healthy lifestyle. (4)

How Cinnamon Helps Prevent Diabetes

Cinnamon’s greatest benefit may be its potent anti-diabetic effects. Patients at high risk of type 2 diabetes displayed improvement of biomarkers associated with type 2 diabetes upon introduction of cinnamon into their diet. (5)

  • Healthy patients that supplemented cinnamon at meals displayed improved glucose and insulin levels and slowed the rates of digestion.
  • Patients with metabolic syndrome and polycystic ovary syndrome, two major risk factors of type 2 diabetes, also displayed improved markers, including fasting glucose and insulin sensitivity. (6)

Cinnamon and Alzheimer's

Research is strictly preliminary regarding the prevention and management of Alzheimer’s, but cinnamon supplementation has been shown to prevent tau protein aggregation in neuron cells. The tau protein aggregation in these neuron cells is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s. (7)

Cinnamon and Other Health Benefits

Cinnamon Reduces Muscle Soreness

Subjects who administered 3 grams of cinnamon every day for 6 weeks reported less muscle soreness after physical activity. (8)

Cinnamon is an Anti-Microbial

Cinnamon displays antimicrobial effects against a number of bacteria, including E. coli. (9)

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