upsetcinnamon

ReviewArticleCODEN:IJPRNKISSN:2277-8713RaazMaheshwari,IJPRBS,2013;Volume2(5):131-145IJPRBSAvailableOnlineatwww.
ijprbs.
com131CINNAMON:ANIMPERATIVESPICEFORHUMANCOMFORTRAAZKMAHESHWARI1,AKCHAUHAN2,AYUSHIGUPTA3,SHOBHASHARMA41.
DepartmentofChemistry,ShBaldevRamMirdhaGovtPGCollege,Nagaur,Rajasthan2.
DepartmentofChemistry,ShKalayanPGCollege,Sikar,Rajasthan3.
DepartmentofHealth&Nutrition,JaiNarainVyasUniversity,Jodhpur,Rajasthan4.
DepartmentofChemistry,JaiNarainVyasUniversity,Jodhpur,RajasthanAcceptedDate:20/09/2013;PublishedDate:27/10/2013Abstract:Cinnamonisaspicethathasancientoriginsandispopularlyusedasflavorings,asacondimentandincooking.
Cinnamonisalsoknowntoprovidevariousmedicinalbenefitsthatincludeloweringofbloodcholesterol,fordiabetes.
CinnamonisobtainedfromthebarkoftheCinnamontree.
.
Theimportanceofcinnamonincookeryandmedicinehasbeenknownsincetimeimmemorial,whichisevidentfromthefossilremainsthatinterpretitscultivationinancienttimes.
Today,It'snotonlyknownforasastrongflavoredspice,butithasgainedtremendousapplicationsintherapeuticintervention.
Thebarkitselfisusedforextractingessentialoil.
Asfarascinnamonnutritionisconcerned,itcontainsmorethan80nutrients,beneficialforproperfunctioningofthebody.
Theuniquearomaandpungencyofcinnamonareattributedtothecompoundscinnamaldehydeandcinnamicaldehyde.
Givingdueimportancetothehealthbenefitsofcinnamon,rigorousstudieshavebeendoneregardingthenutritionfacts.
Lowincholesterol,saturatedfats,sugar,andsodium,It'sanexcellentflavoringingredientforpeoplewithheartrelatedproblems.
Cinnamoncontainspolyphenols,whicharenaturalantioxidants,thathelpinregulatingbloodsugarlevels.
Certaincompoundspresentincinnamonstimulatetheinsulinreceptorsandthushelpthebodytouseupglucoseintherightway.
Studieshaveshownthatcinnamoncanprovebeneficialforthosewhosufferfromdiabetes,especiallytype2diabetes.
Cinnamonimprovesinsulinresistance,thathelpsinweightcontrol.
Thisexplainstheuseofcinnamonforweightloss.
Thetotalcaloriecontentin6.
8gofcinnamonis17.
Outofthis,only1calorieiscontributedbyfats(totalfatcontentis0.
2gper1tablespoon)andzero%fromsaturatedfats.
Overall,It'sgoodforhealthconsciouspeople.
Theamountofcarbohydratesin1tablespoonservingsizeisapproximately5.
5g.
Unlikeothercarbohydratecontainingfooditems,itshowsanegligibleamountofsugar(only0.
1gper1tablespoon).
Thehigh%agecontentofdietaryfiber(3.
6gin1tablespoon)alsomakesitapreferredspiceamongpeoplehavingdigestiveproblems.
Usingitregularlywillreduceindigestion,constipation,andintestinaldisorders.
Theconcentrationofproteinincinnamonisrelativelylow,ascomparedtothatofcalcium,iron,anddietaryfibercontent.
Serving6.
8gofthesamewillprovideyou0.
3gproteins.
Needlesstosay,yougetproteinsfromotherfoodingredients.
So,It'snotatallaconcerningissue.
It'sgoodsourceofcalciumandiron;having1tablespoonofcinnamonissufficienttoyield14%calciumand31%ironofthedailyrequirementsofanadult.
Nevertheless,therequirementsmayvaryslightlyasperyourcalorieneeds.
ItalsocontainshighamountsofvitaminAandCalongwithmineralslikeZn,K,Mg,andMn.
A6.
8gservingprovides20%vitaminAand12%vitaminCofthedailyrequirementsofanadult.
Keywords:Coumarin;Cinnamaldehyde;Cinnamylacetate;Cinnamylalcohol;;LDL;TherapeuticapplicationsINTERNATIONALJOURNALOFPHARMACEUTICALRESEARCHANDBIO-SCIENCEPAPER-QRCODECorrespondingAuthor:Dr.
RAAZKMAHESHWARIAccessOnlineOn:www.
ijprbs.
comHowtoCiteThisArticle:RaazMaheshwari,IJPRBS,2013;Volume2(5):131-145ReviewArticleCODEN:IJPRNKISSN:2277-8713RaazMaheshwari,IJPRBS,2013;Volume2(5):131-145IJPRBSAvailableOnlineatwww.
ijprbs.
com132INTRODUCTIONCinnamonisoneoftheoldestspicesknown.
ItwasmentionedintheBibleandwasusedinancientEgyptnotonlyasabeverageflavoringandmedicine,butalsoasanembalmingagent.
Itwassohighlytreasuredthatitwasconsideredmorepreciousthangold.
Aroundthistime,cinnamonalsoreceivedmuchattentioninChina,whichisreflectedinitsmentioninoneoftheearliestbooksonChinesebotanicalmedicine,datedaround2,700B.
C.
Cinnamon'spopularitycontinuedthroughouthistory.
ItbecameoneofthemostrelieduponspicesinMedievalEurope.
Duetoitsdemand,cinnamonbecameoneofthefirstcommoditiestradedregularlybetweentheNearEastandEurope.
CeyloncinnamonisproducedinSriLanka,India,Madagascar,BrazilandtheCaribbean,whilecassiaismainlyproducedinChina,VietnamandIndonesia.
Cinnamonisanaromaticandwarmspicethatisavailableintwoforms-thecinnamonstickorgroundcinnamonpowder.
Thespiceisactuallyobtainedfromtheinnerbarkofthecinnamontree.
Thebarkisstrippedfromthetreeandallowedtodryinthesun.
Whilstdrying,itrollsupintoaquillandthisiswhatweknowasacinnamonstick.
Someofthequillsarethengrounddownintoapowerandthisiswhatweknowasgroundcinnamon.
Therearetwomaintypesofcinnamonthatareusedincookingtoday,althougharoundonehundreddifferenttypesofcinnamontreeactuallyexistintheworld.
Truecinnamon(Ceyloncinnamon),whichhasalighter,sweeterandmoredelicateflavour,isnativetoSriLankawhereIt'sverypopularinsavourydishessuchascurries.
It'salsoproducedinIndia,theCaribbeanandBrazil.
Wewouldusethissweetcinnamoninalltypesofcakes,biscuits,crumblesandbreads.
Theothermaintypeofcinnamonisobtainedfromthecassiatree,whichisfoundinSoutheastAsiaincountriessuchasIndonesia,Burma,ChinaandVietnam.
Cassia(Chinesecinnamon)islessexpensivethanthetruecinnamonandperhapsspicierandmorepungent.
It'sthereforepreferredinexoticmeatdishes,curriesandothersavouryfoods.
Cinnamonisoneoftheoldestspicesaround.
ItwasmentionedinancientChinesewritingsofatleast2700yearsoldandalsofeaturesseveraltimesintheBible.
TheEgyptiansimportedcinnamonfromChinaanduseditnotonlyasamedicineandfoodenhancerbutalsoasanembalmingagent.
Itwasconsideredaspreciousasgoldbymany.
FortheRomanscinnamonwasjustassacredandimportant.
ItwasburnedatfuneralsandIt'ssaidthattheEmperorNeroburntawholeyearssupplyatthefuneralofhiswifePoppaea.
CinnamonwasoneofthefirstspicestobetradedbetweenAsiaandEuropeandthefactthatVenetianmerchantscontrolledtheentirecinnamontradeinEuropefuelledotherEuropeanexplorerstotravelafarinsearchofotherwaysofobtainingthepreciousspice.
AfterthePortuguesediscoveredSriLanka(Ceylon)attheendofthe15thcenturyandtookcontrolofthecinnamontradethere,ReviewArticleCODEN:IJPRNKISSN:2277-8713RaazMaheshwari,IJPRBS,2013;Volume2(5):131-145IJPRBSAvailableOnlineatwww.
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com133theDutchremovedthemfrompoweracenturylater,followedbytheBritishin1796.
Sincethentheimportanceofthecinnamontradedeclined,ascinnamonbegantobeproducedandcultivatedinotherareas.
Cinnamonorcinnamomumverumisanevergreentree.
Thebarkofthetreeiscommonlyusedandreferredtoascinnamon.
It'snativetotheLauraceaefamily,inSriLanka.
Anincreasingawarenesstowardsthehealthbenefitsofcinnamonhasspotlightedthespiceacrosstheglobe.
Thename'cinnamon'isPhoenician.
Thetreeispopularforitsdistinctfragrance.
Thebarkofthetreehasalwaysenjoyedanunparalleleddemandduetoitsessentialoilthatisaromaticandgreatflavoringagent.
Thebarkiseitherusedinpiecesorpowdered,inanumberofcuisines.
Theoilisextractedbypoundingthebark,maceratingitandfinallydistillingtheessence.
Cinnamonhasacharacteristicodorandapungenttaste.
Thetasteandscentaretheresultofcinnamaldehydeaginginthepresenceofoxygen.
Thechemicalcomponentswithincinnamonincludeeugenol,ethylcinnamate,methylchavicol,linalool,cinnamaldehydeandbeta-caryophyllene.
It'salsoreferredtoas'karugapatta','pattai','lavangapattai','kayumanis','cassiavera','kurundu','Korunda','tvak','dārusitā','dalchini'and'qerfa'.
ThesmalltreethrivesinIndia,Egypt,SriLanka,Brazil,IndonesiaandVietnam.
It'sanancientspice,originallypreparedbydryingthebarkofthetreeandrollingitintosticksorquills.
CassiacinnamonisdarkerandharderthanCeylonvariety.
Thedistinctiveodorliesintheessenceofcinnamicaldehydeorcinnamaldehydethatisconcentratedinthebarkofthetree.
Ithasapungenttastethatcomesfromitscompositionofethylcinnamate,beta-caryophyllene,eugenol,methylchavicol,cinnamaldehydeandlinalool.
Cinnamonbarkisusedaroundtheworldasaspice,condimentandforflavor.
Itcanbeconsumeddirectly;thepowderisusedinavarietyofsoupsanddessertsacrosstheglobe.
Cinnamonisassociatedwithanumberofhealthbenefits.
Thevolatileoilextractedfromitsbarkisatrustedcureforacommoncoldsanddiarrhea.
Theextractisbelievedtobeanantioxidantthatalsohasantimicrobialproperties,makingthespiceisapreferredpreservative.
Alongwithitsinherentpropertiesthathelpfightinflammation,theflavorappealstoallagegroups.
Cinnamonwasprobablythefirstspiceusedbyman.
Ancientrecordsrevealthatitwasusedformorethan5,000years.
Thecountlessflavoringusesofthisvaluablespiceneednotbeenumerated.
ReviewArticleCODEN:IJPRNKISSN:2277-8713RaazMaheshwari,IJPRBS,2013;Volume2(5):131-145IJPRBSAvailableOnlineatwww.
ijprbs.
com134Cinnamoniswidelybelievedtobehighinanti-oxidants.
RegulardrinkingofCinnamonteacouldbebeneficialtooxidativestressrelatedillnessinhumans.
Cinnamonteaoffershelpfulrelaxationforthestomachupsetbythetensionandstrainofmodernliving.
Whodoesn'tloveasprinklingofcinnamononfreshapplepieoratopachailatteIt'sjustoneofthosespicesthattastesfantastic.
Buttasteisnottheonlyreasontolovecinnamon.
HNumerousstudiesshowthatcinnamonregulatesbloodsugar,makingitagreatchoicefordiabeticsandhypoglycemicsalike.
That'salsogreatnewsforanyonewhowantsstableenergylevelsandmoods.
ItreducesLDLcholesterollevels.
LDLisalsoknownastheharmfulcholesterol.
Reducingitmayhelpreducetheriskofcardiovasculardisease.
.
Ithasnaturalanti-infectiouscompounds.
Instudies,cinnamonhasbeeneffectiveagainstulcer-causingH.
pyloribacteriaandotherpathogens.
VeganCinnamonRollsandPastries.
Itreducespainlinkedtoarthritis.
CinnamonhasbeenshowninstudiesattheDepartmentofInternalMedicine,KangnamKoreanHospital,toreducecytokineslinkedtoarthriticpain.
ResearchattheUniversityofTexas,publishedinthejournalNutritionandCancer,showsthatcinnamonmayreducetheproliferationofcancercells,holdingpromiseforcancerpreventionandsufferersofthedisease.
It'sanaturalfoodpreservative.
It'sbeenproveneffectiveformenstrualpainand9.
infertility.
Cinnamoncontainsanaturalchemicalcalledcinnamaldehyde,whichstudiesshowincreasesthehormoneprogesteroneanddecreasestestosteroneproductioninwomen,helpingtobalancehormones.
Cinnamonholdspromiseforvariousneurodegenerativediseases,including:Alzheimer'sdisease,Parkinson'sdisease,multiplesclerosis,braintumor,andmeningitis,accordingtoresearchattheCytokineResearchLaboratory,DepartmentofExperimentalTherapeutics,TheUniversityofTexas.
Theirresearchshowsthatcinnamonreduceschronicinflammationlinkedwiththeseneurologicaldisorders.
Notahealthbenefit,butagreatreasontolovecinnamon,it'sversatile.
Itworkswithsweetandsavorydishesalike.
ConsiderthatmanycurriesandsavoryMoroccandishesincludecinnamon.
It'snotjustforapplesanymore.
ReviewArticleCODEN:IJPRNKISSN:2277-8713RaazMaheshwari,IJPRBS,2013;Volume2(5):131-145IJPRBSAvailableOnlineatwww.
ijprbs.
com135Source:FoodSafetyandSecurityAuthorityofIndiaVARIETIESOFCINNAMONTherearetwopopularkindsofCinnamon,oneisthe"trueCinnamon"fromtheCinnamontreewhichisnativeinSriLanka(fromthegenusCinnamomumverum)andtheotheris"Cassia"(CinnamomumCassia)whichisbeingcommerciallycultivatedinChina,Indonesia,VietnamandotherSoutheastAsiancountries.
It'swidelyacceptedthatCinnamonfromSriLankaisofbetterqualitybetweenthetwo.
Cinnamonisusedinmanyculinaryreceiptsanddesserts,suchasdonuts,applepie,cinnamonbunsaswellascandies,tea,hotcocoa,andliquors.
Cinnamonisalsousedinthicksoups,drinksandsweets.
CinnamonispopularlyusedintheUnitedStatesasflavoringforcereals,bread-baseddishesandfruits.
InMexico,cinnamonisusedinthepreparationofchocolates.
Otherthanforculinarypurposes,oilobtainedfromthecinnamonbarkisalsopopularlyusedinperfumery.
Cinnamonoilisalsousedindentalandpharmaceuticalproducts.
Cinnamonleafoilhasbeenfoundtobeeffectiveinkillingmosquitolarvae.
Insomestudies,Cinnamonleafoilisbeingproposedforuseasaninsectrepellent.
BecauseCinnamonhasancientorigins,abroadrangeoffolklorichealthremedieshavebeenpracticedthroughtheyearsthatcanbefoundinvariouscultures.
ButanumberofscientificstudiesthatweredoneconfirmedthatthereareindeedsomemedicinalbenefitsfromCinnamon.
Cinnamonhastraditionallybeenusedtotreattoothacheandfightbadbreath.
Cinnamonisalsobelievedtostaveoffcommoncolds,nausea,suedasgeneralhealthtonicandasaidindigestion.
CinnamonfromCeylonisquitedifferentfromtheCassiacommonlysoldintheUnitedStates.
Ourcinnamonistheoriginal,soughtafterbytheRomans,MarcoPolo,andlaterEuropeantraderswhofinallyfound"thesource"inCeylon,nowSriLanka.
(ZeylanicumistheLatinwordforCeylon).
CinnamonZeylani-cum,alsoknownasTrueCinnamon,isnativetoSriLanka.
Bycontrast,themajorityofgroundcinnamoncurrentlysoldintheUnitedStatesisactuallyCinnamomumCassia.
CassiaiscultivatedinChinaandIndonesiafromthearomaticbarkoftheChinesecinnamontree.
Thecorkyouterbarkisnotremovedintheproductionofcassia,whichismorepungentandrobustthanTruecinnamon.
It'snotasdelicate,sweetorsubtleasthecinnamonproducedinSriLanka.
Cinnamonisantimicrobialandalsorestrainsthegrowthoffungiandyeast,makingitpotentiallyusefulinthetreatmentofallergies.
Cinnamonalsoholdspromisesforpeoplewithdiabetes,becauseitappearstostimulateinsulinactivitytherebyhelpingthebodytoprocesssugarmoreefficiently.
Yousee,thatcinnamonrollmaynotonlytastegood,butbegoodforyou,too!
TherehasbeenrecentstudiesonCinnamonsuggestingtheirusageforbloodsugarcontrol.
It'ssuggestedthatCinnamonhelpsyoufeelalertbypossiblyincreasingbloodReviewArticleCODEN:IJPRNKISSN:2277-8713RaazMaheshwari,IJPRBS,2013;Volume2(5):131-145IJPRBSAvailableOnlineatwww.
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com136flowtothebrain.
TryaddingCeylonCinnamontothemorningcupofcoffeeortea.
WehavecreatedablendofspicesformakingOrganicmasalachaiathome.
ThisMasalaChaiblendismadewithceyloncinnamon,cardamompods,cloves,fennelseedsandmalabarblackpeppercorns.
Whygotobigcoffeeshopstogetmasalachai.
Taste:RealorTrueCinnamonissweetanddelicatewhereasCinnamonCassiaisstrongtopepperyColor:RealCinnamonisatancolor,whereasCinnamonCassiaisareddishbrowntodarkbrown.
Look:CinnamonCassiabarkisthickerbecauseitsouterlayerisntstrippedoff.
Forthatreason,Cassiastickscurlinwardfrombothsidestowardthecenterastheydry.
RealCinnamonstickscurlfromonesideonlyandrolluplikeanewspaperasshownabove.
Feel:ThesurfaceofCinnamonCassiaisroughanduneven,whereasRealCeylonCinnamonbarkissmooth.
Usage:RealCeylonCinnamonisperfectinsweetandsubtledishesthatrequireadelicateflavor.
SCOLOSSALUSESOFCINNAMONCassiacinnamonisusedasahomeremedytocurecolds,nauseaanddiarrhea.
Itsvarietyisalsobelievedtoincreaseenergylevelsandbloodcirculation.
Ayurvedaremediesincludecinnamonforthecureofdiabetes,commoncoldandindigestion.
Thepowderisusedtomakeherbaltea.
Itlowerscholesterolthatisbadandtriglyceridesorthefattyacidspresentintheblood.
Researchrevealsthatthespiceisveryeffectiveinthemarketedpillform,witheachpillequivalentto1teaspoonofcinnamonpowder.
Thepillshaveproveneffectiveinreducingfastingbloodglucose.
It'sbelievedtohaveantifungalandantibacterialpropertiesandisusedextensivelyinthecureofcandidaalbicansfungusandhelicobacterpyloribacteria.
TheCinnamonbarkoilinaclearglassviallatterareprimarilyresponsibleforstomachulcers.
Cassiacinnamonnaturallycontains'coumarin',acompoundthathasablood-thinningeffect.
Thishelpsasanti-clottingmedication,forpeoplewithbleedingdisorders.
Concentratedcinnamonoilisusedasanaromatherapyessentialoil.
Thesoothingeffectandlingeringaromahelpscalmfrayednervesandrelax.
ReviewArticleCODEN:IJPRNKISSN:2277-8713RaazMaheshwari,IJPRBS,2013;Volume2(5):131-145IJPRBSAvailableOnlineatwww.
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com137Thespiceisalsocreditedwithanti-inflammatoryproperties.
It'susedtocureinflammationofinternaltissuesduetoconsumptionoffriedandprocessedfoods.
It'susedinanti-inflammatorydietstoreduceheartattacks,strokes,atherosclerosisandcoronarydiseases.
Thishelpstokeepheartdiseaseatbay.
It'srichiniron,manganese,calciumandfiber.
Thecombinationhelpstoreduceandeliminatebile,andsubsequentlypreventsanydamagetothecoloncellsortheonsetofcoloncancer.
Italsohelpsrelieveibs(irritablebowelsyndrome).
Thelatestclaimhighlightsthatmerelysmellingcinnamonactsasamemorybooster.
It'sbelievedtoimprovememoryandtheperformancelevelsforcertaintasks.
Thebarkofthespiceisusedasacondiment.
It'sextensivelyusedinthepreparationofdessertssuchaschocolatesandpies,aswellassavorydishesoflambandchicken.
Asanadditive,itactsasanantioxidantandhelpsinthepreservationoffood.
Ithasbeentraditionallyusedforagestotreattoothachesduetotoothdecayandbadbreath.
Beingaversatilespice,itcanbeputtoavarietyofuses.
It'sevenchewedondirectly,tohelpdigestion.
Freelyavailable,thespicehasaspecialplaceineveryhomeandcuisine.
CoupledwiththevariousmedicinalpropertiesthatIt'screditedwith,cinnamonisamuchsoughtaftercondiment,andforalltherightpurposes.
Mostofthecinnamonbenefitsareprimarilyderivedfromthethreeactivecompoundspresentincinnamon:Cinnamaldehyde,cinnamylacetateandcinnamylalcohol.
Thesecompoundsarenaturallypresentintheessentialoilsthatarefoundinthebarkofthecinnamontree.
Thebarkofcinnamontreehasbeenusedforseveralmedicinalaswellasnonmedicinalpurposessincelong.
It'sbelievedtohavestrongantioxidantpropertiesalongwithantibacterialandantifungalproperties.
Youmustbeawareofthecinnamonoilhealthbenefits,however,mostpeopleprefertousethebarkofcinnamondirectly.
Thisisbecausecinnamonoiloftencausesirritationsandallergicreactionswhilecinnamonbarkisconsideredsafeforuse.
SomeofthefolkloricapplicationsofCinnamonareasfollowsMemoryBooster,Cinnamoncanimprovecognitivefunctionaswellasmemory.
BloodPurification.
Cinnamonhelpsinremovingimpuritiesfromtheblood,andisoftenrecommendedforpimples.
PromotesHealing.
Cinnamonhelpstostopbleeding,andfacilitatesthehealingprocess.
DigestiveTonicCinnamonaidsindigestion.
Cinnamoniseffectiveforindigestion,nausea,vomiting,upsetstomach,diarrheaandflatulence.
Cinnamonalsorelievesacidityandmorningsickness.
Respiratoryproblems.
Cinnamonhelpsincold,flu,influenza,sorethroat.
ReviewArticleCODEN:IJPRNKISSN:2277-8713RaazMaheshwari,IJPRBS,2013;Volume2(5):131-145IJPRBSAvailableOnlineatwww.
ijprbs.
com138Menstruation.
Cinnamoniseffectiveinprovidingrelieffrommenstrualcrampanddiscomfort.
.
InIndianAyurvedicmedicine,Cinnamonisusedinthetreatmentofflatulence,piles,amenorrhea,diarrhea,toothache,amoebiasis,heartdiseases,fever,cough,cold,headacheandmanyothers.
DiureticEffects.
Cinnamonisdiureticinnatureandhelpsinsecretionanddischargeofurine.
Aphrodisiacandisbelievedtoarousesexualdesire.
It'salsobelievedthatcinnamonaidsinthesecretionofbreastmilk.
AlzheimerDisease.
AteamofTelAvivUniversityscientists,headedbyProf.
MichaelOvadia,isolateasubstanceinthecinnamonplantwhichinhibitsdevelopmentofAlzheimerinmiceTobaccoAid,CinnamonisalsobeingrecommendedtohelpcurbtheurgefortobaccoTheNationalInstituteofHealthrecommendschewingcinnamonstickswhentryingtoquittheuseoftobaccoDiabetesType2,Cinnamoncouldhavesomepharmacologicaleffectsinthetreatmentoftype2diabetesmellitusandinsulinresistance.
RecentstudiesinphytochemistryofChineseCinnamonhaveindicatedthatcinnamtanninB1isolatedfromC.
Verumbearspossibletherapeuticeffectontype2diabetes.
Infections.
Cinnamonhasantifungal,antibacterial,antiviralandantisepticproperties,It'seffectiveonexternalaswellasinternalinfections.
Ithelpsindestroyinggermsinthegallbladderandbacteriainstaphinfections.
CancerPrevention.
InastudypublishedbyresearchersattheU.
S.
DepartmentofAgricultureinMaryland,cinnamonreducedthegrowthofleukemiaandlymphomacancercells.
ColonCancer,Pharmacologicalexperimentssuggestthatthecinnamonderiveddietaryfactorcinnamicaldehyde(cinnamaldehyde)activatestheNrf2-dependentantioxidantresponseinhumanepithelialcoloncellsandmaythereforerepresentanexperimentalchemopreventivedietaryfactortargetingcolorectalcarcinogenesis.
Melanoma,Thecinnamonderiveddietaryfactorcinnamicaldehydealsoexhibitsanti-melanomaactivityobservedincellcultureandamousemodelofhumanmelanomaReviewArticleCODEN:IJPRNKISSN:2277-8713RaazMaheshwari,IJPRBS,2013;Volume2(5):131-145IJPRBSAvailableOnlineatwww.
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com139CoughandColdCinnamonhasbeenusedasahomeremedyforcoughandcommoncoldsinceages.
Havecinnamonteatwiceadayandyourcoughorcoldwilldisappearinnotime.
Addinglittlehoneytogroundcinnamonisjustperfecttotreatconditionslikechroniccough,cold,sinusandevenflue.
CinnamontoControlDiabetesCinnamonisbelievedtoeffectivelyhelpinthetreatmentofdiabetesmellitus.
Theonslaughtoftheconditiontriggerstheneedforlifelongmonitoringofbloodsugarlevelsandthedevelopmentofahealth-centricroutine.
Thesuccessofthetreatmentplanliesintheeffectivecontroloverenvironmentalfactorsthataddtothehealthmalady.
Itrelievesstress,increasesmetabolismandthebody'simmunitytofightdisease.
Itimprovesinsulindischargetocheckbloodglucoselevelsandreversesresistancetothehormone.
Thepolyphenoltype-Apolymerpresentinthespiceregulatescholesterollevelstoo.
Advancedstudiesonitspharmacologicaleffectsrevealthatcinnamonextractdoeshaveatherapeuticeffectondiabetes.
PhytochemistryresearchrevealsthatthespicerelievesoxidativestressrelatedtothedevelopmentofType2diabetes,whilethesignificantantioxidantpotentialaddressesorgandamage.
ThoughitdoesnotappeartoimpacthemoglobinA1Clevelsinamajorway,itsinvolvementindiabetestreatmentismainlyasastressrelieverandimmunitybooster.
LoweringCholesterolStudiesshowthatcinnamoniscapableofreducingthelevelofLDLcholesterolandtriglyceridesintheblood,thushelpingtopreventanumberofheartdiseases.
Justaddapinchofcinnamontoyourfoodoruseitasamildsweetenerforteaandcoffeetoenjoyitsbenefits.
CureinArthritisCinnamonhasanti-inflammatorypropertiesthatmayhelpinreducingthepainandinflammationassociatedwitharthritis.
MixcinnamonandhoneytoformapasteandmassageitonthejointsforrelieffromtheReviewArticleCODEN:IJPRNKISSN:2277-8713RaazMaheshwari,IJPRBS,2013;Volume2(5):131-145IJPRBSAvailableOnlineatwww.
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com140painanddiscomfort.
ImmuneStrengthCinnamonhelpsinstrengtheningtheimmunesystemandprotectsusfromavarietyofbacterialandviralinfections.
Ithasantifungalpropertiesandmayhelpincuringalotoffungalinfectionstoo.
ToothachesReliefCinnamonisoneofthenaturalpainrelieversfortoothaches.
Applyingapastemadeofonepartcinnamonandfourpartshoneyonanachingtoothwillhelpinrelievingthepaintoagreatextent.
SkinRejuvenatorTheantibacterialandantifungalpropertiesofcinnamonhelpinkeepingtheskinfreeofanyinfections.
Ithasantiagingpropertieswhichprotecttheskinfromtheharmfuleffectsoffreeradicalsandmakestheskinlookhealthierandyounger.
Addingcinnamontothemorningteakeepsyourskinsoftandfreshallthetime!
NoHairlossAlotofpeoplesufferfromtheproblemofhairloss.
Cinnamonhelpscontrolhairlossandthuspreventsbalding.
spiceisderivedfromthebarksofthebushytreecinnamon,scientificnameCinnamomumspecies.
WhiletheSriLankanvariety(C.
verum)isconsideredatrueone,therearetwocommerciallyimportantcinnamonspecies,namelyCeyloncinnamon(C.
zeylanicum)andChinesecinnamon(C.
aromaticum).
Flavorwisetheyarealmostsimilar,buttheCeylontypeissweeteranddifficulttofindinthemarket.
Thedriedbarkissoldasrolls,sticks,orquills,aftertheoutermostroughportionisdiscarded.
Youcanfindgroundedformofcinnamonaswell.
COUMARIN:Coumarinisknowntocauseliverandkidneydamageinhighconcentrations.
TrueCeyloncinnamonhasnegligibleamountsofcoumarin.
FIRM(FederalInstituteofRiskManagement)inGermanyadvisespeopletostopusingCasssiaduetoitmedicalimpactonliver.
CeylonCinnamonhasbetween2-5ppmofcoumarincomparedtoCassia(2000-5000ppm).
OurCeylonCinnamonistestedatUSlabforCoumarincontent.
CeylonCinnamonhasbetween0.
001-0.
005milligramofCoumarin/teaspoon.
Cassiahasatleast1000xmoreCoumarinthanCeylonCinnamon.
Coumarinismoderatelytoxictotheliverandkidneys.
Althoughonlysomewhatdangeroustohumans,coumarinisapotentrodenticide.
GermanFDAhasestablisheda"TDI"(tolerabledailyintake)of0.
1mgcoumarin/kgbodyweight,butalsoadvises,ifthislevelisexceededforashorttimeonly,thereisnothreattohealth.
Forexample,apersonweighing60kg(about132lbs)wouldhaveaTDIof~6.
0mgofcoumarin.
GermanFDAhaswarnedagainstconsuminghighamountsofcassiabark,oneofthefourspeciesofcinnamon,becauseofitscoumarincontent.
AccordingtotheGermanFDA,1kgof(cassia)cinnamonpowdercontains~2.
1to4.
4gofcoumarin.
PowderedCassiaCinnamonReviewArticleCODEN:IJPRNKISSN:2277-8713RaazMaheshwari,IJPRBS,2013;Volume2(5):131-145IJPRBSAvailableOnlineatwww.
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com141weighs0.
56g/cc;therefore,1kgofCassiaCinnamonpowderisequalto362.
29teaspoons(1000gdividedby0.
56g/ccmultipliedby0.
20288tsp/cc).
Thismeans1teaspoonofcassiacinnamonpowdercontains5.
8to12.
1mgofcoumarin,whichmaybeabovetheTDIforsmallerindividuals.
However,It'simportanttonotethattheGermanFDAhasonlycautionsagainsthighdailyintakesoffoodscontainingcoumarin.
Coumarinisoftenfoundintobaccoandartificialvanillasubstitutes.
CoumarinwasbannedasafoodadditiveintheUnitedStatesin1954.
Coumarinwasbannedasanadulterantincigarettesbytobaccocompaniesin1997.
CoumariniscurrentlylistedbyFDAamong"SubstancesGenerallyProhibitedFromDirectAdditionorUseasHumanFood".
AllothervarietiesofCinnamon,exceptCeylonCinnamon,havemuchhighercoumarincontent.
FAKECINNAMON&ITSHAZARDSCinnamonisamustspiceinanIndiankitchen,beitforpreparingthefamousHyderabadibiryanianddessertsorspicycurries.
It'salsoanimportantingredientintheAyurvedicmedicines.
Apartfromloweringbloodsugarlevels,cinnamoncanhelpreducecholesterollevelssignificantly,fightnauseaandpreventarthritis.
However,whatisprimarilyavailableintheIndianmarketinthenameofcinnamon(Cinnamomumzeylanicum)isitsalterego—cassiaorCinaamomumcassia.
Thisfakecinnamoncontainsachemical,coumarin,whichisusedformakingratpoison,accordingtotheGFIRA(GermanFederalInstituteofRiskAssessment).
Coumarincandamageliverandkidneysinhumanseveniftakeninrelativelysmalldoses.
Thedailytolerableintakeofcoumarinis0.
1mg/kgofbodyweightandIt'sestimatedthat1kgofcassiapowdercontains2.
1to4.
4gofcoumarin.
InSeptember2012,It'ssuedanote,advisingpeopletostopusingcasssia.
Traditionallybothcinnamonandcassiahavebeenusedworldwideasspicesandformanufacturingperfumesandcosmetics.
Butwithstudiesshowinghealthproblemscausedbycassia,severalcountrieshaveimposedrestrictionsonitsimports.
Sofar,mostEuropeancountrieshavebannedtheuseofcassiainfooditems,whilecountriesliketheUS,GermanyandtheUKimportitonlyformakingrodentpoison.
India,theworld'sleadingspiceproducer,exporterandconsumer,isyettoactagainstcassiadespiteseveralstudiesdocumentingitsharmfuleffects.
In2010,theIITR(IndianInstituteofToxicologyResearch),Lucknow,foundthatcoumarincandamageliverandkidneys.
"Oilextractedfromcassialeafalsocontains8percentofcoumarin.
ItcanReviewArticleCODEN:IJPRNKISSN:2277-8713RaazMaheshwari,IJPRBS,2013;Volume2(5):131-145IJPRBSAvailableOnlineatwww.
ijprbs.
com142causeintestinalulcerifconsumedinlargequantities,"saysMAnanaraj,directoroftheIISR(IndianInstituteforSpicesResearch)inKozhikode,Kerala.
Cinnamoncontainsnegligibleamount(0.
004%)ofcoumarin,headds.
AbsenceofregulatorymechanismsalsomeansthepoisonousalteregoofcinnamoncontinuestofloodtheIndianmarket.
Thoughtheydonotlookidentical,theyhavesimilarsmellandflavourduetothepresenceofchemicalcinnamaldehyde.
Consumers,andevenretailers,unawareofthefraudgeteasilyduped.
"Mostpeopledonotknowwhatatruecinnamonlooksorsmellslike,"saysaspicegrowerfromCochinwhodoesnotwishtobenamed.
"Peopleprefercassiaasitssmellandtasteissharperthancinnamon.
PSSThampi,deputydirector(publicity)ofSpicesBoard,says,theaverageproductionofcinnamoninIndiais80to100tons/annum.
Thisisminisculecomparedtotheannualdemandof12,000tones.
Tomeetthisgrowingdemandaswellasforre-exportingcinnamonaftervalueaddition,Indiaimportsabout10,000tonesofcassiaand200tonesofcinnamonayear,saysThampi.
CassiaisimportedfromChina,IndonesiaandVietnam,whilecinnamonismostlyimportedfromSriLankaasCeyloncinnamon.
In2008theSpiceBoardwrotetoDGFT(DirectorateGeneralofForeignTrade),askingittolistcassiaasrestricteditemforimport.
"WehavealsoinformedtheUMHFW(UnionMinistryofHealthandFamilyWelfare)fortakingnecessaryaction,"saysThampi.
FSSAI(FoodSafetyandStandardsAuthorityofIndia)hasacknowledgedthatcinnamonandcassiaaretwodifferentplantsandclassifiescassiaanadulterant.
Itswebsitenowmentionsthedifferencebetweencassiaandcinnamon.
In2011,itwrotetoallfoodandhealthauthoritiestoensurethatcassiaisnotsoldascinnamon.
Butthesaleofcassiaascinnamoncontinuesunabated.
CONCLUSIONCinnamonisprobablybestwellknownmedicinallyfortwomainreasons.
Firstofallcinnamonishighlyantiseptic.
Thisduetothehighcontentofphenolandmeansthatcinnamoncanbeusedasaveryeffectivemouthwash.
Secondly,asIt'sawarmingspice,It'softenveryusefulasacoldorfluremedy.
Cinnamonsoothesstomachanddigestivecomplaintssuchasflatulence,indigestion,heartburnandstomachcramps.
It'sanexcellentmedicineforcolds,congestion,temperatureandflu.
Researchhasshownthatcinnamoniseffectiveagainstfungusandyeastinfections.
Cinnamoncanbeusedtolowerfeverbypromotingseating.
Cinnamonoilcanbeusedtotreatchestinfectionsandcatarrh.
Itcanhelpimprovebloodcirculationaroundthebodyespeciallytothehandsandfeet.
Cinnamonisanaidforweakdigestion.
Itcanhelpreducepaincausedbyarthritis,rheumatismandmusclepain.
Cinnamonisacalmingherbandcanreduceanxiety,depressionandstress.
Itcanhelpwithsickness,nauseaandvomiting.
Cinnamoncanstimulatemenstrualbleedingandhelpregulateperiods.
IthasbeenprovedtoReviewArticleCODEN:IJPRNKISSN:2277-8713RaazMaheshwari,IJPRBS,2013;Volume2(5):131-145IJPRBSAvailableOnlineatwww.
ijprbs.
com143lowerhighbloodpressure.
Chewingcinnamonstickscanrelievetoothacheandfreshenthebreath.
Cinnamoniseffectiveinthepreventionofbloodclots.
Cinnamonhasbeenproventoregulatebloodsugarlevelsinpeoplewithtype-2diabetesandalsotoimprovetheirresponsetoinsulin.
Therapeuticallycinnamonhasanti-diabetic,antioxidant,anti-clotting,anti-inflammatory,anesthetic,carminative,andrubefacientproperties.
However,itshealthbenefitsaremainlyattributedtotreatingdiabeticpatients(especiallythosewithinsulinresistanceortype2diabetes).
Theactiveingredients(especiallyeugenol)helpregulatebloodsugarlevels,thusreducingdiabetesrelatedcomplications.
Youwillbegladtoknowthatantioxidantactivityofcinnamonisalsoisveryhigh.
Havingantimicrobialproperties,consumingdishescookedwithcinnamoniseffectivetofightbacterialandyeastinfections.
Otherclaimedbenefitsofcinnamonincludeimprovingmemory,reducingarthritispain(whentakenwithhoney),treatingflatulence,andcombatingmedication-resistantyeastinfections.
Accordingtostudiesconductedoncinnamonnutritionalbenefits,havinghalfateaspoonofcinnamonpowdereverydaywilllowerthebadcholesterollevel.
Researchersareongoingtotestitseffectivenessinreducingproliferationofcancerouscells.
Besidesthesetherapeuticuses,cinnamonservesasanaturalfoodpreservativebyincreasingstoragelifeoffoods.
Asyouarewellacquaintedwithcinnamonnutritionfactsandhealthbenefits,considerincludingittoensureagoodhealthandfightdiseaseconditions.
Nonetheless,rememberthatsomesideeffectsdoexhibitincertaincases.
Probableadversereactionsincludeskinirritation,stomachdiscomfort,andincreasedheartrate.
Itmayalsoincreasetheactionofdiabetic,bloodthinning,andantibioticmedications,hencepeoplewhoarecurrentlytakingthemshouldconsultthedoctorbeforeingestingcinnamonproducts.
Theessentialoilofcinnamonalsohasantimicrobialproperties,whichcanaidinthepreservationofcertainfoodswhenaddedtofood,itinhibitsbacterialgrowthandfoodspoilage,makingitanaturalfoodpreservative.
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