The use of Cinnamon as a spice and as a
medicine dates back to 2000 BC. There are two types of
Cinnamon which are known to as Chinese Cinnamon and Ceylon
Cinnamon. While they have a similar flavor, Ceylon Cinnamon
is a bit sweeter and is considered be of a more refined and
higher quality.
Just half a teaspoon of cinnamon a day
significantly reduces blood sugar levels in diabetics, a new
study has found. The effect, which can be produced even by
soaking a cinnamon stick your tea, could also benefit
millions of non-diabetics who have blood sugar problem but
are unaware of it.
The discovery was initially made by
accident, by Richard Anderson at the US Department of
Agriculture's Human Nutrition Research Center in Beltsville,
Maryland. "We were looking at the effects of common foods on
blood sugar; one was the American favorite, apple pie, which
is usually spiced with cinnamon. We expected it to be bad.
But it helped," he says.
The active ingredient in cinnamon turned
out to be a water-soluble polyphenol compound called MHCP.
In test tube experiments, MHCP mimics insulin, activates its
receptor, and works synergistically with insulin in cells.
To see if it would work in people, Alam
Khan, who was a postdoctoral fellow in Anderson's lab,
organized a study in Pakistan. Volunteers with Type 2
diabetes were given one, three or six grams of cinnamon
powder a day, in capsules after meals.
All responded within weeks, with blood
sugar levels that were on average 20 per cent lower than a
control group. Some even achieved normal blood sugar levels.
Tellingly, blood sugar started creeping up again after the
diabetics stopped taking cinnamon.
In the volunteers, the Cinnamon also
lowered blood levels of fats and "bad" cholesterol, which
are also partly controlled by insulin. And in test tube
experiments it neutralized free radicals, damaging chemicals
which are elevated in diabetics.
Cinnamon's essential oils also qualify it
as an "anti-microbial" food, and cinnamon has been studied
for its ability to help stop the growth of bacteria as well
as fungi, including the commonly problematic yeast Candida.
In a study, published in the August 2003
issue of the International Journal of Food Microbiology, the
addition of just a few drops of cinnamon essential oil to
approximately 3 ounces of carrot broth, which was then
refrigerated, inhibited the growth of the food borne
pathogenic Bacillus cereus for at least 60 days. When the
broth was refrigerated without the addition of cinnamon oil,
the pathogenic B. cereus flourished despite the cold
temperature. In addition, researchers noted that the
addition of cinnamon not only acted as an effective
preservative but improved the flavor of the broth.
Research led by Dr. P. Zoladz and
presented April 24, 2004, at the annual meeting of the
Association for Chemoreception Sciences, in Sarasota, FL,
found that chewing cinnamon flavored gum or just smelling
cinnamon enhanced study participants' cognitive processing.
Specifically, cinnamon improved participants' scores on
attention related processes, virtual recognition memory,
working memory, and visual-motor speed while working on a
computer-based program.
(Hint: simmer a few cinnamon sticks in
water while your kids are doing their homework – this will
also serve as wonderful yet non-toxic air freshener for your
home)
In addition to the active components in
its essential oils and its nutrient composition, cinnamon
has also been valued in energy-based medical systems, such
as Traditional Chinese Medicine, for its warming qualities.
In these traditions, cinnamon has been used to provide
relief when faced with the onset of a cold or flu,
especially when mixed in a tea with some fresh ginger.
You will find Ceylon Cinnamon used in
many of your favorite Wholefood Farmacy foods including
Phi Plus,
DetoxiPhi,
Joule and
Cornaborealis.
As always, we are at your service,
The Wholefood Farmacy Team
