The Health Benefits of Cinnamon Can Spice Up Your Life

Image Credit: Adobe Stock

Since cinnamon is not exactly prescribed by doctors (“Take two spoonfuls and call me in the morning”), dosage recommendations vary from ½ to 1 teaspoon, or slightly more. However, like seemingly everything in life, moderation is key (too much can prove toxic).

Aside from helping to ward off things such as certain cancers, viruses, and menstrual cramps, cinnamon has many under-the-radar health benefits. The spice, which has been around since 2000 BC in Ancient Egypt, helps treat everything from the common cold and infections to vomiting and erectile dysfunction.

What, exactly, is cinnamon? It’s made from the inner bark of trees (Cinnamomum) and comes in two primary types: ceylon and cassia (the more popular one). Its pungent scent comes from the compound cinnamaldehyde. It is also rich in antioxidants (we could all use more of those, right?) — even more so than garlic or oregano.

A few additional pros include:

  • Reduces blood pressure and the risk of heart disease.
  • Helps against inflammation.
  • Could help against Type 2 Diabetes (experts vary about this one).
  • Shows improvements regarding neurodegenerative diseases (like Parkinson’s).
  • Assists with weight loss.
  • Its scent (from cinnamon sticks to chewing gum) helps brain function.
  • Good to alleviate sickness (like when you put it in tea with ginger).

It is best to keep your cinnamon in a dark, cool place and in a well-sealed glass container. The refrigerator is the best place to store it (in order to lengthen its life).

But if you’re looking for simpler ways to add more cinnamon to your life, try some of the suggestions here, like making:

  • Cinnamon rolls
  • Hawaiian pizza (!!)
  • Lamb Shawarma
  • Cinnamon Chipotle Spice Popcorn (interesting!)
  • Mexican Chocolate Pudding

That way, you’re bound to consume cinnamon in a fun way, not in an uncomfortable YouTube video-laden one.

And if you’re in the mood for a good laugh, watch this lady do the cinnamon challenge:

Image Credit: Adobe Stock

 

Food

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About the Author
Natalia Lusinski
In addition to Simplemost, Natalia is an ongoing writer for Bustle (sex, dating, relationships, and money), HelloGiggles (pop culture and news), The Delite (feel-good stories), and Don’t Waste Your Money (yep, money issues!). You can also find her writing in the L.A. Times, the Chicago Tribune's RedEye, xoJane, Elite Daily, Scary Mommy, Elephant Journal, and Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies, among other publications. She has a Ph.D. in couch-surfing, having spent four years sleeping on over 200 L.A.-area love seats and sectionals, all in an effort to whittle down her student loan debt. She still loves couch-surfing in other cities, too (hint, hint).

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