Friday, January 8, 2010

Health Benefits of Cinnamon

Health Benefits of Cinnamon
Plus Healthy Recipes and Cooking Tips
Jan 6, 2010 Heather Loney

Add a dash of this aromatic spice to your favourite recipes to improve bad breath and lower blood pressure.



Use your spice cabinet to its full potential by adding spices and herbs to your everyday recipes. Make a healthy recipe even healthier, and add a pleasing taste and aroma to your cooking with just a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Cinnamon and Diabetes
Research has shown that taking everyday spices and herbs may help reduce the inflammation thought to be linked to diabetes and other chronic diseases.

Coming second only to ground cloves, cinnamon contains the highest level of anti-inflammatory polyphenols than any other spice. So why not just use ground cloves? Well, because of cinnamon’s popularity in everyday cooking and baking, there is a generally greater chance of working cinnamon into your diet.

Although medical research on cinnamon’s effectiveness in managing type 2 diabetes is mixed, some studies show that taking a daily dose of cinnamon can significantly lower the blood sugar and reduce cholesterol levels of type 2 diabetes patients.

Cinnamon Fights Bad Breath
One health benefit of cinnamon that is a sure bet is its effectiveness in fighting bad breath. Food particles and bacteria lingering in the mouth typically cause bad breath.

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Chewing gum is a great defence against bad breath, as it stimulates saliva production. Saliva washes away food particles and bacteria in the mouth, improving the breath. Our saliva also contains antiseptic that kills bad breath causing bacteria.

Not only is chewing gum great for bad breath, chewing cinnamon flavoured gum is even better. The simple reason for this is because it’s sweeter. Gum that is sweetened with Xylitol, a sugar substitute, actually prevents bacteria from forming in the mouth.

Add Cinnamon to Your Healthy Recipes
Cinnamon is a commonly used spice in cooking and baking, even sprinkled on lattes. But rather than reaching for a cinnamon raisin cookie or calorie-laden latte to get your fix of the aromatic spice, try one of these healthy recipes and tips.

Cinnamon and Orange
A healthy and delicious snack doesn’t get much easier than this. Take a large orange, cut it into slices, cut off the peel, and sprinkle each slice with cinnamon. It’s fast, easy, and so simple.

Homemade Chai Tea
Instead of a full-fat mochaccino, try making your own masala chai tea from scratch. This delicious recipe is low in fat (when made with skim milk), and is great for your digestive system, as it contains powerful antioxidants like cloves and cardamom.

Studies on the health benefits of cinnamon are continually being released, and although it’s still unknown whether or not the spice helps manage diabetes, it’s a sure-fire bad breath killer, and adds warmth to everyday cooking.

When it comes to cooking with cinnamon, however, there is such thing as too much of a good thing. Studies have shown that very high levels of cinnamon can be toxic. So stay on the safe side and limit your daily intake to a half teaspoon a day.

Sources:

Albert, Sarah. “Change Your Breath From Bad to Good,” WebMD. May 20, 2009.

Boyles, Salynn“Common Spices May Help Diabetes,” WebMD. August 6, 2008

Smith, Michael W (reviewed by). “Cinnamon,” WebMD. May 11, 2009.

Smith, Michael W (reviewed by). “Cinnamon and Benefits for Diabetes,” WebMD. November 19, 2008.



Read more at Suite101: Health Benefits of Cinnamon: Plus Healthy Recipes and Cooking Tips http://nutrition.suite101.com/article.cfm/health_benefits_of_cinnamon#ixzz0c3XmY89I

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