What is cinnamon good for? A lot of things actually! Cinnamon is an herb that we use as a spice. We use cinnamon in so many different foods from so many different cultures. We also use cinnamon for baked goods. But is that all cinnamon good for? Nope! Turns out it can also be used in home remedies as well.
What Is Cinnamon Good For?
Cinnamon is great for so many ailments and is one of my favorite herbs for home remedies and favorite supplement. Plus, it tastes great. Natural remedies aside, I also love cinnamon in baked goods, curries, and rubs. It’s so good and versatile. Food aside, let’s deep dive into the benefits and side effects of the herb: cinnamon.
Related: Old Timey Home Remedy: Hot Toddy To Soothe Your Cold
What Is Cinnamon?
Cinnamon is also known as Cinnamomum verum. It is grown on an evergreen tree in the laurel family. What part of the tree does cinnamon grow on? Cinnamon comes from the bark of the tree. The inner bark to be more specifically. The inner bark is dried and then sold at the store. The trees that cinnamon comes from are native to these following countries:
- South America
- Sri Lanka
- India
- Myanmar
There are also alternative sources of cinnamon beyond the Cinnamomum verum. These alternatives are:
- Cinnamomum citriodorum
- Cinnamomum Cassia
- Cinnamomum Burmanni
- Cinnamomum Loureiroi
What Does Cinnamon Taste Like?
Cinnamon has a sweet and spicy smell and taste. And yes, it does have a woody flavory with hints of citrus. People tend to compare cinnamon to other strong herbs like clove. Cinnamon definitely has a strong flavor and tends to be stronger when grounded up.
What Are The Health Benefits Of Cinnamon?
Cinnamon goes beyond flavor. Turns out cinnamon can be used as a supplement or in home remedies. This is an herb that I keep on hand in both whole form and ground form. It’s great for treating my family from time to time when we have colds, flus, and minor infections. But beyond that, what else is it good for?
1. Cinnamon Can Protect Against Heart Disease
There are multiple studies that show that cinnamon helps reduce the risk of heart disease, reduce cholesterol which some believe can cause heart disease (this is debatable). Some studies also show that cinnamon can reduce blood pressure which can also cause heart issues.
2. Cinnamon Has Been Used For Medicine Even In Ancient Times
This spice has been used throughout history all the way back to ancient Egypt. Cinnamon has a compound known as cinnamaldehyde which is great for our health and metabolism. Plus, it’s antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial.
3. Cinnamon Has Anti-Inflammatory Properties
Inflammation has a purpose. It helps your body not only repair damaged tissue, but also helps deal with infections. However, too much or chronic inflammation is not good for your body. But cinnamon can help! Studies show that the antioxidants actually lower inflammation.
4. Cinnamon Is Full Of Antioxidants
Our bodies need antioxidants and cinnamon is loaded with them and compounds known as polyphenols! Antioxidants help protect our bodies from free radicals. Cinnamon has so many antioxidant levels that it can actually reduce c-creative proteins.
5. Cinnamon Can Help With Insulin Resistance
Insulin is important and helps regulate not only our energy levels, but also how our metabolism works. But some people are insulin resistant. Studies suggest that cinnamon may actually help those with insulin resistance.
6. Cinnamon Can Help With Neurodegenerative Diseases
A study was done on mice in 2014 and the researchers found cinnamon helped protect neurons and improved motor function in mice that suffered from Parkinson’s disease. It also has an effect on tau which is a protein found in the brain of those who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease.
7. Cinnamon Can Help Lower Blood Pressure
So, this is cool. Cinnamon is actually effective in lowering systolic and diastolic blood pressure. So, those with uncontrolled hypertension can benefit from taking cinnamon!
8. Cinnamon Can Help Lower Blood Sugar Levels
Cinnamon can also lower blood sugar levels! It’s neat, because it decreases the amount of sugar the goes into your blood stream after you eat. How does it do that? It interferes with your digestive enzymes and slows down how your digestive tract breaks down carbs.
9. Cinnamon Is Antibacterial
Did you know cinnamon is used as a preservative because it is antibacterial? Which means it’s a great natural antibiotic that can help fight off germs. Which is why I use it for my family when we are sick!
10. Cinnamon Is Antifungal
Researchers have been found to help find off fungal infections in not only you, but also into your garden! But more often cinnamon is used for candida infections and actually can help inhibit fungal growth. Which is great and can be used as a preventive when you start noticing your tongue is a little fuzzy. But for full blown infections nystatin worked best.
11. Cinnamon Is Antiviral
Cinnamon is great for viruses as well because of their antioxidants, polyphenols, minerals, and other properties. A doctor from New York found that in trials cinnamon was just as good as other antiviral herbs like garlic, onion, peppermint, clove, etc. All of these herbs, including cinnamon, were shown to be able to deactivate viruses.
12. Cinnamon Can Help Protect Against Cancer
Because cinnamon is full of antioxidants it helps get rid of free radicals in your bodies. Free radicals are known to cause cancer in our bodies. Turns out cinnamon extract can even cause cancer cells to die!
13. Cinnamon Can Help Lower Cholesterol
There was a study done in 2017 and researchers found that taking 3 grams of cinnamon everyday can lower LDL levels, raise your HDL levels, and reduce your total cholesterol overall. There was a more recent study done on the effects of cinnamon on cholesterol as well.
14. Cinnamon May Aid In Weight Loss
Because cinnamon can help with insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome it can help you lose weight. Plus, it is known to help “brown your fat” which can also help you lose weight.
Side Effects Of Cinnamon
Just like everything, there are side effects when taken in large amounts or it can cause allergies as well. So be aware of the following issues that can arise when taking a large amount of cinnamon.
1. Cinnamon Can Cause Allergies
Just like everything some people will have allergic reactions to cinnamon. It can cause hives, stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea, tingling, itching, difficulty breathing, etc.
2. Too Much Cinnamon Can Cause Liver Damage
Cinnamon contains coumarin which can cause liver damage in large doses. Coumarin is a toxin to the liver and is known as a potential carcinogen.
3. Cinnamon Can Cause Mouth Sores
Cinnamaldehyde is a substance found in cinnamon which can cause an allergic reaction and create mouth sores.
4. Cinnamon Can Cause Breathing Problems
Cinnamaldehyde is a throat irritant and can exasperate breathing issues like asthma. And of course allergies can play a factor in here as well. A severe enough allergy can cause anaphylaxis.
5. Too Much Cinnamon Can Increase The Risk Of Cancer
See #2, too much cinnamon can potentially cause cancer because of coumarin which is a natural substance in cinnamon that is a potential carcinogen.
6. Cinnamon May Lower Blood Sugar Too Much
We already talked about cinnamon lowering blood sugar. If you suffer from low blood sugar this can be an issue or if you are on medication to lower your blood sugar cinnamon can make it drop too low.
7. Cinnamon Can Interact With Other Medications
Cinnamon is a natural medicine and can interact with other allopathic medicines, homeopathic medicines, and other supplements.
What Medications Does Cinnamon Interact With?
Because herbs are natural medicines they can interact with other remedies, supplements, and allopathy medicine. Some of these medications are:
- Paracetamol
- Statins
- Acetaminophin
- Sitagliptin
- Warfarin
- Amlodipine
- Felodipine Isradipine
- Diltiazem
- Nifedipline
- Nicardipine
- Metoprolol
Great Herb With Many Uses
Seriously, it’s a great herb to have around. Even if you don’t use cinnamon as a supplement or in a natural remedy, it tastes great! Like I said, I use it for a lot of things. Mainly for cold, flus, sinus infections, sore throats, headaches. It’s so great!
More Home Remedies From Homemaking For God
- Is Red Yeast Rice Really Good For High Cholesterol?
- The Wonderful Health Benefits of Clove
- The Amazing Health Benefits and Side Effects of Hibiscus Tea
- The Very Best Books On Natural Healing and Herbal Remedies
- The Amazing Health Benefits Of Raw Garlic
- The Amazing Health Benefits Of Ginger
- How To Deal With Ear Infections
- Is Oregano Oil Really A Natural Antibiotic?
- You Should Spend Time In The Sun!
What is cinnamon good for? A lot! What other uses does cinnamon have? What home remedies do you use that involve cinnamon? I’d love to hear from you!
