Cinnamon Review: 15 Health Benefits of Cinnamon

Top 15 Health Benefits of Cinnamon

There’s been some important researches showing evidence that Cinnamon Spice maybe the solution for Diabetes, Toenail fungus, Stomach flu, Candida, Cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Arthritis pain and even Weight loss, among other problems. You can take a look at the evidence below. The benefits of adding cinnamon to your diet are really compelling.

The FDA has not approved Cinnamon as a drug, as of yet. This article is presented for informational purposes, and there is no intention that would anyway motivate you to use cinnamon in treating, diagnosing or curing any illness. Consult a physician before taking any Cinnamon, for reasons other than culinary. The first thing we must talk about this super food are the nutrients.

1. Nutrients: A teaspoon dose has up to 24.56 mg of Calcium (2% DV), 0.76 mg of Iron (4% DV) and 0.33 mg of Manganese (16% DV). These values were calculated from a serious site. We can present USDA figures with RDA% (see chart here) which can be more accurate, although the Manganese levels in Cinnamon still can’t be confirmed from any reliable source. Being an enzyme activator, Manganese also functions in bone metabolism and structure building. According to WebMd, manganese helps with weak bones (cases of Osteoporosis), a type of Anemia , or “tired blood”, and symptoms of PMS.

2. Food Preservative: Speaking of food, it is widely used in hot Asian dishes. In Sri Lanka, for instance, almost every recipe uses Cinnamon. Besides the great flavor, Ceylon Cinnamon, combined with other spices, such as Chili and Turmeric, may have been an indigenous food preservative, before the advent of refrigerators. This is because Cinnamon inhibits bacterial growth, in a very effective way. One study for using papers coated with Cinnamon Oil as a preservative, found that a 6% solution of Cinnamon Oil used in bread packaging, was responsible for complete mold inhibition. Another study from Feb 2013 found that cinnamon oil is effective in developing insect-resistant packaging film for food. Cinnamon was regarded as the best option in this study, even against Clove Oil, for making edible food film.

3. Tooth Decay and Gum Disease: As we said earlier, Cinnamon inhibits bacterial growth, and these antibacterial properties play a fundamental role in protecting your teeth or gum against harmful bacteria. This is why Cinnamon Oil is often used in mouthwashes,  chewing gums, toothpaste and breath mints.

4. Antimicrobial: The oil from the leaf of the Ceylon Cinnamon makes for a great natural disinfectant. Cinnamon oil has the best antimicrobial performance against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Aspergillus oryzae, and Penicillium digitatum according to this abstract. The Cinnamon Bark Oil is also an extremely powerful antibacterial. One study found the levels of cinnamaldehyde in Cinnamon Bark Oil was effective against enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella Typhimurium. 

To use these properties, dilute some of the cinnamon oil (either one) with water to disinfect kitchenware, counter tops, sinks, door knobs, refrigerator and even toys, among other things. If you’re worried about your young children, and don't want to use chemicals that could cause cancer, use Cinnamon Oil. Cinnamon sticks have good antibacterial properties, but you would need a lot of it, just to make a difference. If you just want a mild disinfectant, to wash your face, for example, then some water boiled with a couple of Cinnamon sticks might be what you’re looking for.

5. Weight Loss: Apparently, cinnamon has blood-thinning effects, and it could increase blood circulation. Increasing your blood flow can boost your metabolism, this can induce weight loss. This blood thinning property of Cinnamon also helps it acting as an anticoagulant, especially for those with heart diseases. Be sure not to use Cinnamon with other blood thinning medication. The ingredient that causes your blood to thin is the Coumarin. The Cassia Cinnamon has high doses in it (4%) but not the Ceylon Cinnamon (0.04%). However Coumarin can cause liver damage. Using Cassia Cinnamon for its weight loss properties can cause liver damage, so be warned. An article cites Dr. Greenburg of Tufts University, showing good data supporting its use for weight loss.

6. Blood Sugar Control: We can find studies in profusion stating that Cinnamon has properties beneficial to individuals with insulin resistance. This made Cinnamon very popular with people with Type 2 diabetes. They’re taking it to control their blood sugar variations.

Having low levels of Coumarin, compared to the more commonly found Cassia Cinnamon, the Ceylon Cinnamon became very popular. Let’s say it again, in high doses Coumarin can cause liver damage. One study found that Cassia Cinnamon was better than Ceylon Cinnamon at controlling the levels of blood sugar for a given amount of Cinnamon. As a solution one can just double the dosage of Ceylon Cinnamon, without risking getting near the Coumarin levels found in Cassia Cinnamon.

Another study found that Ceylon Cinnamon has an effect on blood sugar control in rats. If you plan to take Ceylon Cinnamon for your diabetes, make sure to take intake it in moderation as part of a healthy diet with proper nutrition. Exercise is also encouraged. 

Paul David, at UC Davis, said in this NPR story from 2013 that Cinnamon can have similar effects to an older generation of diabetes drugs. It can improve 3-5% your blood sugar levels. Cinnamon could be an alternative for pre diabetics. For severe type 2 diabetics, the amount of cinnamon one needs to take to make a difference can be a risk to your health. This is a decision you should make consulting your doctor.

There are evidences that it is the component Cinnamaldehyde (present in Cinnamon Bark Oil) that seems to be useful to control blood sugar levels. One study comparing it to berberine (Ber), and metformin (Met), found that Cinnamaldehyde is the most effective to control blood sugar levels. Another study found that the Cinnamaldehyde present in Ceylon Cinnamon Bark Oil (Cinnamonumzeylanicum) reduced significantly the plasma glucose concentration (p<0.05) in more than 63%, depending on the dosage.

7. LDL Cholesterol & Triglycerides Lowering: According to an article from Mayo Clinic , Cinnamon can only indirectly lower cholesterol by controlling how the body processes sugar and fat. But it doesn’t effect on cholesterol directly. Another Pakistani study found Cinnamon reduced triglyceride, LDL cholesterol, and total cholesterol in a very positive way. In 2011, a review found the consumption of Cinnamon is associated with a remarkable decrease in levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL-C, and an increase in HDL-C levels, which is the good cholesterol. But the same study said that applying it to patient care is very difficult. Well, we think that it should be considered. Why not?

8. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): Cinnamon is a very good digestive, one that can reduce dramatically the discomforts caused by IBS. Especially bloating. This is due to its antibacterial effects healing infections in the GI tract, normalizing the work of the gastric juices. Apparently, there is one Japanese study affirming that cinnamon can cure ulcers,but we couldn’t verify this information. Even so, if you’re suffering from stomach cramps or upsets, take a cup of Cinnamon tea. If you take 2-3 cups per day your pain should be notably decreased.

9. Antioxidant: Cinnamon is one of the top seven anti-oxidants in the world. It has an ORAC value of 267536 μmol TE/100g according to a 2007 paper. "Free Radicals" cause cancer and the antioxidants present in Cinnamon reduce their formation. One study found Cinnamon has sufficient antioxidant properties. It also improves food palatability. This Indian study (pdf) also found that the volatile oils and oleoresins of cinnamon bark and leaf potentially has antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Antioxidants are beneficial good for your whole body, they work to repair damages in almost every parts of your body,almost every organ.

10. Cancer Prevention: One Research proves that Cinnamon oil can be one effective solution to treat Melanomas, Gastric Cancers and even some Tumors. Other studies show that sugar can be causing or sustaining cancer cells, and cinnamon can have a mitigating effect. It can help controlling the blood sugar in the body. Yet another study linked Cinnamon with good results when treating leukemia and lymphoma cancer cells. 

You can find in Cinnamon (in all of its various forms) two chemicals, one called Cinnamaldehyde and the other Eugenol (from Cinnamon Oil). These substances have been used to develop new nutraceuticals. This study proves that these nutraceuticals were very effective in fighting Cancer Cells. Eugenol helped with Human Colon Cancer Cells and Cinnamaldehyde was effective in Human hepatoma cells. There’s evidence to suggest that Cinnamon is starving cancer cells by reducing the sugar they needed to sustain them. One study from the University of Arizona found that the Cinnamaldehyde was a potent substance to fight colorectal cancer cells.

11. Arthritis/Osteoporosis: There is a widely known study from the Copenhagen university, and we want you to know that it is a hoax. The majority of evidences that support that Cinnamon helps arthritis come from personal testimonials. Some say that drinking Cinnamon tea helps with the pain and others claim that massages using Cinnamon Oil eases the pain. What we know is that Cinnamon has high levels of Manganese, one can find 73% DV in just two sticks of Cinnamon. Manganese is used to build bones, blood and other connective tissues, according to one study from the Medical Center of the University of Maryland. The body uses manganese to maintain optimal bone health, so people suffering from manganese deficiency are more likely to develop osteoporosis. But there's evidence showing that excessive dairy consumption may be another factor for Osteoporosis.

12. Candida Yeast Infections: Yeast infections are very dangerous, specially those resistant to medication. But Cinnamon could be an amazing alternative. It was shown to stop these infections. This applies to the Candidaalbicans fungus and the Escherichiacoli bacteria. One study discovered that Cinnamon Oil was one of three essential oils that are most effective against Candida. Another study found that the Cinnamon Oil can be effective against three strains of Candida. They are the Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, and Candidakrusei. Drinking a real Ceylon Cinnamon Tea, infused with the Cinnamon Bark Oil, could boost your immune system and fight internal Candida infections. For topical applications (please, refer from using in the genital areas and mucous membranes) 1% Ceylon Cinnamon Leaf Oil can be a very effective treatment option. In 2008, a study listed in this pdf found that the Aldehyde components of the bark extract from the Ceylon Cinnamon can suppress osteoclasto genesis  induced by RANKL, through NFATc1 down regulation.

13. Odor Neutralizer: Everybody knows that Cinnamon Leaf oil have a great smell. And it’s an effective odor neutralizer. It doesn’t just mask odors, Cinnamon Leaf Oil kills the bacteria responsible for creating bad odors. You just need a few drops of Cinnamon Leaf Oil, 2-5 drops, mixed with water on a diffuser. You can be sure that within minutes all odors are neutralized. You can also spray diluted Cinnamon Leaf Oil to clean toilets, garbage cans, floors and kitchen counter tops and the interior of vehicles get rid of the nasty odors. Forget about your regular chemical spray. The fragrance can even improve your mood. And not just as a prevention for the winter blues, Cinnamon can be beneficial to your mental health.

14. Mood Enhancer & Brain Benefits: There are ancient folklore that say the smell of Cinnamon is the best cure for the winter blues. We could only find scientific evidence to support this theory in this study by Dr. Bryan Raudenbush, Associate Professor of Psychology and Director of the Undergraduate Research at Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, WV. That study found that just the scent of Cinnamon could reduce driver irritability.

But Cinnamon could be more than an effective cure for depression. We have few evidence that some kinds of gut bacteria could make you more susceptible to depression. As we already know, Cinnamon is a powerful antibacterial and can help you remove the bad stomach bacteria. But since Cinnamon removes almost every bacterium from your stomach, the good and the bad, you should repopulate your body with good bacteria. You can do that by drinking a good probiotic or eating fermented food, sometime after taking Cinnamon. You can read more about gut health in this post. 

15. Decreases Frustration: According to the study of Dr. Bryan Raudenbush, Cinnamon can help you to stay alert and decrease your frustration when you are driving. There is one German study cited in this article the subjects taking Cinnamon did improve their response times and their memory, but this has not been proven. We know that this is not very scientific, but our own experience tells us that you can achieve pretty good results in alertness and concentration. Go ahead and try it. Cinnamon is even being used by some parents as a supplementary treatment when treating kids with ADHD or ADHD-like symptoms. This is the best known study (pdf) on this subject, based on a Taiwanese study, using cinnamon oil in aromatherapy.