If you are like most people, you absolutely love cinnamon, but you might not realize it is actually good for you. While it can often feel like all your favorite things are bad for you, this is one very special ingredient that has loads of health benefits and very few side effects.
Cinnamon is a type of spice that comes from the bark of certain types of trees. These are categorized by Cinnamomum species of trees. Cinnamon is loaded with nutrients, which is one thing that people often don’t realize.
A serving of cinnamon is about a tablespoon (though you can definitely use less and still benefit from it). And, you get the following nutrients when you add more cinnamon to your diet:
- Fiber
- Iron
- Vitamin K
- Calcium
- Manganese
It also has lots of antioxidants and many other health benefits. There are only 19 calories in a tablespoon of cinnamon, and no sugar or fat. Keep reading to learn more about the health benefits of cinnamon and why everyone should be using it, not just in the fall or winter, but year-round.
It Improves Your Heart Health
We are going to start with your heart health since this is one of the top benefits of cinnamon. In fact, many doctors and natural health practitioners will recommend using cinnamon more often on a regular basis if you have high blood pressure or other symptoms of decreasing heart health. Cinnamon has been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease in many studies.
Using Cinnamon to Improve Your Heart Health
With heart disease, there is a heightened risk of complications, stroke, heart attack, and death. There are many ways cinnamon helps improve your heart health, but among them include the fact that cinnamon can reduce your body’s inflammation and boost your antioxidants.
It is also linked to lower bad cholesterol levels (LDL cholesterol), which can also help with your heart health, as well as lowering your blood pressure.
Add Cinnamon to Your Morning Drinks
If you are not accustomed to using cinnamon on a regular basis, a really simple way to use it every day is to add it to your morning beverage. This can be anything from a cup of coffee or tea in the morning, to a glass of fruit-infused water. Try a seasonal infused water with apples and cinnamon, and you will love the taste.
Cinnamon Reduces Inflammation
The next big health benefit of cinnamon is that it can reduce inflammation in your body. This is actually a lot more important to your overall health than you might imagine.
Cinnamon, like many herbs and spices, is a natural anti-inflammatory. This means it reduces inflammation in various parts of your body, from your heart and brain, to your
skin.
Cinnamon for Inflammation
If you have been struggling with chronic pain, muscle soreness, or high blood pressure, it is possible that extra inflammation in your body is one of the main culprits. Doctors will try to change your diet in order to reduce inflammation without medication, but another great way is simple to use cinnamon more often. It is nice that such a healthy spice is also delicious and adds amazing flavor to just about anything you eat.
Use Cinnamon in a Variety of Treats
Do you have more of a sweet tooth? If so, it will be really easy for you to use cinnamon more often. Here are some sweet treats that taste amazing when you add cinnamon to the recipe:
- Cookies
- Cake
- Dessert Smoothies
- Fruit Pie
It is possible to make sweet treats in a healthier way as well. There are many recipes that help you make baked goods that aren’t loaded with sugar and carbs. Try a healthier oatmeal cookie with cinnamon or a smoothie with fruit, Greek yogurt, almond milk, and some cinnamon added to it.
Cinnamon Helps with Diabetes
Moving on to the next health benefit is diabetes. Not just any diabetes, but specifically with type 2 diabetes. You probably know that type 2 diabetes has many causes, from lifestyle choices to genetics.
While there is not currently a cure for type 2 diabetes, there are many ways to manage it, including with medical and natural remedies. Cinnamon also happens to help with type 2 diabetes.
How Cinnamon Can Improve Your Diabetes
The other health benefits you already know about will help cinnamon with managing your type 2 diabetes. This includes with it reducing your inflammation and lowering your blood pressure. It has also shown to have positive effects on blood sugar levels, which as you know leads to insulin resistance, which is one of the problems with type 2 diabetes.
Add Cinnamon to Your Breakfast
The good news here is that it is really add to have more cinnamon in your diet. You already know about treats that use cinnamon and how to use it for your morning drinks, but here are some other ideas for your breakfast.
Cinnamon can also be used with other breakfasts, not just your coffee or tea. Here are
some breakfast items that taste great with a sprinkle of cinnamon:
- Overnight oats
- Traditional oatmeal
- Smoothie bowls
- Cereal
- Oatmeal or bran muffins
As you can see, you can use your cinnamon in the morning for breakfast, then you don’t need to stress about it for the rest of the day.
Get a Dose of Antioxidants
Who doesn’t want more antioxidants in their diet? The reason you hear about foods that contain antioxidants in terms of health is because they help provide protection for those free radicals that affect the cells in your body.
With enough antioxidants, you can fight off infections and diseases, reduce how often you get ill, and protect everything from your heart to your skin.
Cinnamon for More Antioxidants
There are actually many herbs and spices that contain natural sources of antioxidants, including garlic, rosemary, and oregano. Turmeric is also a good source of antioxidants. And naturally, so is cinnamon.
If you already have a good amount of cinnamon in your diet, you might already be doing what you can to help boost antioxidants and prevent free radicals from damaging your body. Otherwise, it might be time to look for ways to incorporate it a little more into your diet.
There are multiple antioxidants in cinnamon, including flaxonoids, polyphenols, and phenolic acid. These are all important for your body and skin, including reducing how rapid you age. These are the same antioxidants you find in other superfoods like dark chocolate and berries.
Flavors that Go Well with Cinnamon
If you are still looking for more ways to use cinnamon in your diet for all these health benefits, consider what it mixes well with. Cinnamon goes great with a lot of flavors, from savory to sweet. As a spice, it is often combined with more savory herbs and spices, but it is also perfect for the sweet flavors as well.
Here are some flavors to consider combining cinnamon with:
- Sugar
- Nutmeg
- Cloves
- Allspice
- Pecans
- Maple
Try these types of flavors in both savory and sweet recipes to get your boost of antioxidants with delicious and healthy cinnamon.
Cinnamon may Lower Your Cancer Risk
This is definitely one of the more surprising health benefits of cinnamon. You may have been recommended cinnamon before for your heart health and high blood pressure, or told it has antioxidants. But did you know it can actually have anti-cancer benefits?
Naturally, it is not a cure for cancer, but there is nothing wrong than adding these types of natural remedies to lower your cancer risk.
How Cinnamon Helps Reduce Your Cancer Risk
There have been multiple studies that look at how cinnamon can affect your risk of getting cancer. Cancer comes down to so many things, from genetics to your current health and lifestyle. In many cases, doctors never discover why you got cancer. However, studies have shown that cinnamon has certain extracts that might protect against cancer.
These include animal studies that show cinnamon reduces the growth of cancer cells in blood vessels, and can provide enzymes in the colon that provide natural detox effects. The extra boost of antioxidants also helps with reducing your risk of getting cancer.
Cinnamon with Fall Fruits and Vegetables
While you can definitely have cinnamon year-round, one great way to use it is with your fall flavors. You already know about using cinnamon with fall spices like nutmeg and clove, but what about other foods that are found in the fall?
Here is a list of fall foods and flavors that taste wonderful with cinnamon:
- Apples
- Pumpkin
- Butternut Squash
- Caramel
- Sweet potatoes
Most of these items are really good for you, with some of them even being superfoods. You can incorporate healthy recipes into your diet with a dash of cinnamon and get all those added benefits.
Cinnamon as the Ability to Lower Your Cholesterol Levels
Did you know that cinnamon is a spice that can help with your cholesterol? It not only helps to lower the bad cholesterol, also known as LDL, while raising your good HDL cholesterol.
This is great if you are at risk of heart disease or your doctor has recently done bloodwork and noticed you had raised levels of that LDL cholesterol.
Cholesterol can affect you in so many ways, from raising your risk of heart disease and cardiovascular complications, to increasing your risk for type 2 diabetes. Anyone with a high level of cholesterol should try to manage it better.
Cinnamon has shown to have good effects for your cholesterol with the antioxidants and other natural properties of
this spice. Plus, it’s a favorite of many people, which is great news even for those picky eaters.
Potential Side Effects
Now that you know all about using cinnamon more in your diet and how it can help your health, let’s talk about the side effects. No matter what you eat or how healthy it is, there are bound to be some drawbacks.
Cinnamon is no different, but the good news is that the side effects are very minimal. Most people can handle cinnamon on a daily basis, so you shouldn’t have to worry about any adverse effects.
However, it is always good to be aware of what to expect if you are not accustomed to using cinnamon in your diet. It is best to start with a sprinkle of cinnamon to see if it has any adverse effects for you.
Allergic Reaction
Some people might have an allergic reaction to cinnamon. If you are not sure if you’re allergic to it, just use a minimal amount. If you notice a weird tingling in your mouth or lips, it might be an allergic reaction.
You might also notice some redness, especially on the skin where the cinnamon touched. You should stop using cinnamon immediately and see if your doctor if you notice these types of effects.
Interactions with Medications
You should also be careful with cinnamon and any medications you are taking. This should not be an issue while eating foods with cinnamon, but if you decide to try cinnamon supplements.
