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vine milk (Sah et al., 2015).<\/p>\nCinnamon is a spice that has been prized for its medicinal properties for thousands of years.<\/p>\n
In recent years, modern science has started to confirm many of the potential health benefits associated with cinnamon.<\/p>\n
Here are 10 health benefits of cinnamon that are supported by scientific research.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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<\/picture><\/span>Share on Pinterest<\/span><\/a><\/span>Cinnamon is a spice that is made from the inner bark of trees scientifically known as\u00a0Cinnamomum<\/em>.<\/p>\n It has been used as an ingredient throughout history, dating back as far as Ancient Egypt. It used to be rare and valuable and was regarded as a gift fit for kings (1Trusted Source<\/span><\/span><\/a>).<\/p>\n These days, cinnamon is affordable and widely available in most supermarkets. It\u2019s also found as an ingredient in various foods and recipes.<\/p>\n There are\u00a0two main types<\/a>\u00a0of cinnamon (1Trusted Source<\/span><\/span><\/a>):<\/p>\n Cinnamon is made by cutting the stems of cinnamon trees. The inner bark is then extracted and the woody parts removed.<\/p>\n When it dries, it forms strips that curl into rolls, called cinnamon sticks. These sticks can be ground to form cinnamon powder.<\/p>\n The distinct smell and flavor of cinnamon are due to the oily part, which is very high in the compound cinnamaldehyde<\/p>\n Scientists believe that this compound is responsible for most of cinnamon\u2019s powerful effects on health and\u00a0metabolism<\/a>\u00a0(3Trusted Source<\/span><\/span><\/a>,\u00a04Trusted Source<\/span><\/span>).<\/p>\n Summary<\/strong>Cinnamon is a popular spice. It\u2019s high in cinnamaldehyde, which is thought to be responsible for most of cinnamon\u2019s health benefits.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n Antioxidants protect your body from oxidative damage caused by free radicals (5Trusted Source<\/span><\/span>).<\/p>\n Cinnamon is loaded with powerful antioxidants, including polyphenols (1Trusted Source<\/span><\/span><\/a>).<\/p>\n One study found that cinnamon supplementation could significantly increase antioxidant levels in the blood while reducing levels of markers used to measure inflammation, such as C-reactive protein (6Trusted Source<\/span><\/span><\/a>).<\/p>\n In fact, the antioxidant effects of cinnamon are so powerful that it can even be used as a natural food preservative (7Trusted Source<\/span><\/span><\/a>).<\/p>\n Summary<\/strong>Cinnamon contains large amounts of highly potent polyphenol antioxidants.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n Inflammation is incredibly important, as it helps your body respond to infections and repair tissue damage.<\/p>\n However, inflammation can become a problem when it\u2019s chronic and directed against your body\u2019s own tissues (8Trusted Source<\/span><\/span><\/a>).<\/p>\n Cinnamon may be useful in this regard. Studies show that this spice and its antioxidants have potent\u00a0anti-inflammatory<\/a>\u00a0properties (9Trusted Source<\/span><\/span><\/a>,\u00a010Trusted Source<\/span><\/span><\/a>).<\/p>\n Summary<\/strong>The antioxidants in cinnamon have anti-inflammatory effects, which may help lower your risk of disease.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n Cinnamon has been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease, which is the leading cause of death around the globe (11Trusted Source<\/span><\/span><\/a>).<\/p>\n According to one review, supplementing with at least 1.5 grams (g), or about 3\/4 of a teaspoon (tsp.), of cinnamon per day was able to reduce levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL (bad) cholesterol, and blood sugar in people with metabolic disease (12Trusted Source<\/span><\/span><\/a>).<\/p>\n Another review of 13 studies found that cinnamon could reduce triglyceride and total cholesterol levels, both of which are risk factors for heart disease (13Trusted Source<\/span><\/span><\/a>).<\/p>\n Cinnamon has also been shown to reduce blood pressure when consumed consistently for at least 8 weeks (14Trusted Source<\/span><\/span><\/a>,\u00a015Trusted Source<\/span><\/span><\/a>).<\/p>\n When combined, all of these factors could help reduce your risk of heart disease.<\/p>\n Summary<\/strong>Cinnamon may improve some key risk factors for heart disease, including cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n Insulin is one of the key hormones that regulate metabolism and energy use (16Trusted Source<\/span><\/span><\/a>).<\/p>\n It\u2019s also essential for transporting blood sugar from your bloodstream to your cells .<\/p>\n However, some people are resistant to the effects of insulin. This is known as\u00a0insulin resistance<\/a>, a hallmark of conditions like metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes (17Trusted Source<\/span><\/span><\/a>).<\/p>\n While more research is needed, some studies suggest that cinnamon may be able to reduce insulin resistance (18Trusted Source<\/span><\/span><\/a>,\u00a019Trusted Source<\/span><\/span><\/a>).<\/p>\n By increasing insulin sensitivity, cinnamon can lower blood sugar levels and support better blood sugar control.<\/p>\n Summary<\/strong>Cinnamon has been shown to significantly increase sensitivity to the hormone insulin, which may improve blood sugar control.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n Cinnamon is well known for its\u00a0blood-sugar-lowering properties<\/a>.<\/p>\n Apart from the beneficial effects on insulin resistance, cinnamon can lower blood sugar through several other mechanisms.<\/p>\n First, cinnamon has been shown to decrease the amount of sugar that enters your bloodstream after a meal.<\/p>\n It does this by interfering with numerous digestive enzymes, which slows the breakdown of carbohydrates in your digestive tract (20Trusted Source<\/span><\/span><\/a>,\u00a021Trusted Source<\/span><\/span><\/a>).<\/p>\n Second, a compound in cinnamon may mimic the effects of insulin to improve the uptake of sugar into the cells (22Trusted Source<\/span><\/span><\/a>).<\/p>\n Numerous human studies have confirmed the beneficial effects of cinnamon, showing that it can lower fasting blood sugar levels and improve hemoglobin A1c, a marker of long-term blood sugar control (23Trusted Source<\/span><\/span><\/a>,\u00a024Trusted Source<\/span><\/span><\/a>).<\/p>\n The effective dose is typically 1\u20136 g, or around 0.5\u20132 tsp. of cinnamon per day ..<\/p>\n Summary<\/strong>Cinnamon has been shown to reduce fasting blood sugar levels when used in doses ranging from 1\u20136 g or 0.5\u20132 tsp. per day.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n HEALTHLINE NEWSLETTER<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by progressive loss of the structure or function of nerve cells (25Trusted Source<\/span><\/span><\/a>).<\/p>\n Alzheimer\u2019s and Parkinson\u2019s disease are two of the most common types (25Trusted Source<\/span><\/span><\/a>).<\/p>\n Certain compounds found in cinnamon appear to inhibit the buildup of a protein called tau in the brain, which is one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer\u2019s disease (26Trusted Source<\/span><\/span><\/a>).<\/p>\n In a 2014 study in mice with Parkinson\u2019s disease, cinnamon helped protect neurons, normalized neurotransmitter levels, and improved motor function (27Trusted Source<\/span><\/span><\/a>).<\/p>\n However, these effects need to be studied further in humans.<\/p>\n Summary<\/strong>Cinnamon has been shown to lead to various improvements for Alzheimer\u2019s and Parkinson\u2019s disease in animal studies. However, human research is lacking.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Cinnamon has been widely studied for its potential use in cancer prevention and treatment.<\/p>\n Overall, the evidence is limited to test-tube and animal studies, which suggest that cinnamon extracts may protect against cancer (28Trusted Source<\/span><\/span><\/a>,\u00a029Trusted Source<\/span><\/span><\/a>,\u00a030Trusted Source<\/span><\/span><\/a>).<\/p>\n It acts by reducing the growth of cancer cells and the formation of blood vessels in tumors and appears to be toxic to cancer cells, causing cell death.<\/p>\n One study in mice with ovarian cancer found that cinnamaldehyde could block the expression of certain proteins involved in cancer growth (31Trusted Source<\/span><\/span><\/a>).<\/p>\n These findings were supported by test-tube experiments, which showed that cinnamaldehyde could reduce the growth and spread of ovarian cancer cells (32Trusted Source<\/span><\/span>).<\/p>\n However, more research is needed to evaluate the potential anti-cancer effects of cinnamon in humans.<\/p>\n Summary<\/strong>Animal and test-tube studies indicate that cinnamon may have protective effects against cancer. More research in humans is needed.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n Cinnamaldehyde, one of the main active components of cinnamon, may be beneficial against various kinds of infection.<\/p>\n Test-tube studies suggest that cinnamon oil could help kill certain fungi that cause respiratory tract infections (33Trusted Source<\/span><\/span><\/a>).<\/p>\n It may also inhibit the growth of certain bacteria, including\u00a0Listeria<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Salmonella<\/em><\/p>\n Plus, the antimicrobial effects of cinnamon may also help prevent tooth decay and reduce bad breath (36Trusted Source<\/span><\/span><\/a>).<\/p>\n However, the evidence is mostly limited to test-tube studies, so more research in humans is needed.<\/p>\n Summary<\/strong>Cinnamaldehyde has antifungal and antibacterial properties, which may reduce infections, as well as tooth decay and bad breath. Further research in humans is needed.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n
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