“Advice of medical specialists should be considered before trying cinnamon supplements and other forms of alternative medicine. Side effects and interaction with other drugs may take place.”

Confession

For a long-time, a shortcut breakfast for me consisted of toast with a heavy coating of peanut butter.  It was fast and always held me over ’til lunch.  (I am NOT recommending peanut butter to anyone).  As I got older, I noticed that even after brushing my teeth, I might have “peanut butter breath”.  And then, my wife hears that cinnamon lowers bad cholesterol so she started adding  a 1/4 teaspoonful of cinnamon to her applesauce.  She had a big container of cinnamon sitting on the countertop so one day I sprinkled some on my toast.  Voila! No more burping peanut butter or peanut butter breath.  I decided to look up the benefits of cinnamon which appears to be quite a list.  Add a little honey and the list of claimed benefits grows even longer.

This spice is now being heralded in the long line of herbal medicine wonders.  It’s benefits may include:

Lowering LDL cholesterol

Regulatory effect on blood sugar (great for people with Type 2 diabetes)

Ability to stop medication-resistant yeast infections

Anti-clotting effect on the blood

Relief in arthritis pain

Fights the E. coli bacteria in unpasteurized juices

Curbs cravings

Supports digestive function

Relieves congestion

Constricts and tones tissues

Boosts brain function by boosting cognitive function and memory

Relieves menstrual discomfort

Improves circulation by thinning blood

Provides calcium and fiber protect against heart disease

Improves colon health, by removing bile salts from the body

Prevents urinary tract infections and irritable bowel syndrome

Helps address tooth decay and gum disease

Now you noticed that the beginning of this list said “benefits MAY include”… I saw mention of several studies and lots of undocumented claims.  As a non-medical specialist and a natural skeptic, I don’t see how many of these claims could be true.  However, it seems generally accepted that cinnamon contains manganese, fiber, iron and calcium.  If I had high LDL (bad) cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes or peanut butter breath, I’d be eating more cinnamon right now.  If I had any of the other problems in the list above, I would be doing more research on the studies of that illness and cinnamon.  I saw a reference that might be relevant to many of us Baby Boomers:

In a study at Copenhagen University, patients given half a teaspoon of cinnamon powder combined with one tablespoon of honey every morning before breakfast had significant relief in arthritis pain after one week and could walk without pain within one month.  (This could be the result of the anti-clotting properties that makes cinnamon and “anti-inflammatory food”)

Warning:  Do not inhale cinnamon dust.  It irritates the airway, which could trigger a bronchospasm and stop your breathing.  And of course check with your doctor before trying any dietary supplement.

If you haven’t downloaded it yet, “Remedies and Cures – The Natural Way” is a seventy-five page book available for free to paid members of www.addedyears.com

Rick

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