Cinnamon is a spice commonly found in South East Asia. It is from the inner bark of trees belonging to the Cinnamomum genus. It is also used to season sweet and savory foods. The flavor comes from the aromatic oil that makes up around 0.5% to 1% of the cinnamon bark when it’s pounded and mashed with seawater and distilled as a whole. The scent comes from the aldehyde or cinnamaldehyde, which is 60% of the cinnamon bark oil.

Cinnamon has been grown and cultivated through the ages in Sri Lanka (Ceylon), India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Vietnam, the West Indies, Brazil, Zanzibar, Egypt and Madagascar. There are two types of cinnamon: Ceylon Cinnamon (also called true cinnamon) and Chinese Cinnamon. 90% of the world’s supply of cinnamon comes from Sri Lanka.

Ceylon cinnamon sticks (or quills) consist of many thin layers that will later on be made into cinnamon powder by pounding it or grinding it using a coffee or spice grinder.

 Health Benefits and Medicinal Properties of Cinnamon

In a study made in 2007, cinnamon is shown to possess antiviral therapeutic effects and also have antioxidants that can help battle cancer.

Because of its antioxidant and antiviral components, scientists have proven that cinnamon has a lot of health benefits and medicinal properties found in the cinnamon bark.

• Blood Sugar and Blood Cholesterol Prevention

Cinnamon is known to help people with Type 2 Diabetes. Taking less than a half teaspoon daily can help diabetic people respond to insulin and normalize blood sugar levels. By lowering the blood sugar, blood cholesterol is improved and it also prevents the forming of fat cells in the abdominal area. As a result, cinnamon can help in avoiding obesity, prediabetes and weight loss.

• Anti-microbial

Cinnamon can stop medication-resistant yeast infections. It is also a natural preservative.

• Memory Enhancer

Cinnamon scent is known to help boost brain memory and cognitive functions. In a 2011 study conducted, it was proven that cinnamon inhibits the development of Alzheimer’s disease in mice.

• Colon Health Enhancer

A good source of manganese, calcium and fiber, cinnamon helps bind bile salts and expel it from the body. With the removal of bile salts, damage to colon cells can be prevented.

• Anti-Clotting and anti-inflammatory Properties

Cinnamaldehyde (cinnamic aldehyde) that can be harvested from cinnamon bark controls the release of arachidonic acid (inflammatory fatty acid) from the blood platelet and thus prevent unwarranted clumping of blood platelets and reduces thromboxane A2 (inflammatory messaging molecule) from forming.

• Eastern Medicine

Traditional Chinese medicine uses cassia cinnamon to cure colds, nausea, diarrhea, flatulence, dysmenorrhea (menstrual pains) and even athlete’s foot. It can also improve blood circulation, vitality and energy.

• Other Curative Properties

There are many more health benefits we can get from daily intake of cinnamon powder like:

• Reduce the spread of leukemia and lymphoma cancer cells in the body
• Relief from arthritic-induced pain (from a study where patients were given ½ teaspoon of cinnamon powder with honey every breakfast)