Over thousands of years cinnamon has been used as a spice, a sweetener, and a healing remedy. There are many reasons why one should consume cinnamon in their daily lives, and hopefully after this section you will start. Cinnamon is an anti-clotting agent. Platelets are constituents of blood that are meant to clump together under emergency circumstances (like physical injury) as a way to stop bleeding, but under normal circumstances, they can make blood flow inadequate if they clump together too much. The cinnaldehyde in cinnamon helps prevent unwanted clumping of blood platelets.
Another advantage of cinnamon can help people with type 2 diabetes! Seasoning a high carb food with cinnamon can help lessen its impact on your blood sugar levels. Cinnamon slows the rate at which the stomach empties after meals, reducing the rise in blood sugar after eating. Cinnamon can significantly help people with type 2 diabetes improve their ability to respond to insulin, thus normalizing their blood sugar levels. Just the scent of cinnamon can have an effect on the body. Not only does consuming cinnamon improve the body’s ability to utilize blood sugar, but just smelling the wonderful odor of this sweet spice boosts brain activity!
In addition to its unique essential oils, cinnamon is an excellent source of fiber and the trace mineral manganese while also a very good source of calcium. The combination of calcium and fiber in cinnamon is important and can be helpful for the prevention of several different conditions. Both calcium and fiber can bind to bile salts and help remove them from the body.
So as you can see these are three very good indications on why someone should incorporate cinnamon in their diet. My advice is to try it on different foods and see which choices you like best. I personally add cinnamon to my baked sweet potato (without the butter of course) to give it that extra sweet flavor that can sometimes satisfy my sweet tooth.
– Nick Cupp, CPT
Nick Cupp is a Certified Personal Trainer at iN8 Fitness (weight loss programs, personal training, rehabilitation) in Lake Mary, FL. He attended the University of Central Florida where he majored in Sports and Exercise Science. He is certified as a trainer through AFAA. Call our Lake Mary office today at 407-302-5161 to see how we can help you meet your weight loss and wellness goals!
