Adding delicious ‘super spice’ to your diet ‘slashes your risk of 6 silent killers’

YOU’RE probably well acquainted with a certain spice that’s great for adding a zing to your favourite desserts, features heavily in Christmas delicacies and adds a warming back note to curries.

You guessed it – it’s cinnamon.

The spice has been prized for its medicinal properties for thousands of years, and modern science has now starting testing its potential benefits.

It’s not recommended by doctors to treat any health issues.

But research has shown that the powerful ‘super spice’ is loaded with antioxidants and could help your body fight infections, viruses, heart disease and even cancer.

Though cinnamon is widely available in most supermarkets, according to healthline there are two varieties of the spice: Ceylon cinnamon – known as ‘true’ cinnamon – and cassia cinnamon, the most common one.

And did you know that the little rolls of the spice you can buy at the supermarket are pieces of bark from cinnamon trees, which curl up once cut?

Without further ado, here are seven health benefits of cinnamon that have been examined by scientific research.

1. Helps lower blood sugar

Cinnamon is well known for its blood-sugar-lowering properties, as it can decrease the amount of sugar that enters your bloodstream after a meal by slowing the breakdown of carbohydrates in your digestive tract, according to research published in 2020.

Meanwhile, a study published in 2022 cinnamon may exert beneficial effects on people with type 2 diabetes as it may mimic the effects of insulin to improve the uptake of sugar into the cells.

High blood sugar – what’s known as hyperglycaemia – can affect affect people with type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes, as well as pregnant women with gestational diabetes, according to NHS guidance.

Diabetes treatment aims to keep blood sugar levels as near to normal as possible, as too high levels can lead to serious health problems if left untreated.

2. Could protect against heart disease

Consumption of the spice has been linked reduced risk of heart disease, with one piece of research showing that 3/4 of teaspoon taken daily was able to reduce bad cholesterol levels in people’s blood.

Cinnamon has also been shown to reduce blood pressure when consumed consistently for at least 8 weeks.

Too much of non-high-density lipoproteins or ‘bad’ cholesterol leads to a build up of fatty deposits inside the walls of the blood vessels, narrowing them over time and increasing the risk of a heart attack or stroke, according to the British Heart Foundation.

Meanwhile, high blood pressure – known as hypertension – can cause damage to the arteries lining your heart and brain, putting you at risk for the same deadly conditions.

3. May slow Alzheimer’s disease

Neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s are characterized by progressive loss of the structure or function of nerve cells.

Certain compounds found in cinnamon showed promising signs of inhibiting the buildup of a protein called tau in the brain – one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease – in a 2017 study.

It must be noted however that this was conducted on animals, so further research is requited to study the affects of the spice on humans with the condition.

4. May slow cancer growth

The spice’s use for potential use in cancer prevention and treatment has mostly been studied through test-tube and animal studies, which suggested extracts may reduce the growth of cancer cells and the formation of blood vessels in tumors.

The animal studies showed that this effect appeared to be toxic to cancer cells, causing cell death.

But more research is needed to evaluate the potential anti-cancer effects of cinnamon in humans.

5. Could prevent bacterial and fungal infections

Test-tube studies conducted last year suggest that cinnamon oil could help kill certain fungi that cause respiratory tract infections.

The growth of certain bacteria like Listeria and Salmonella could also be prevented, and an additional test tube study showed the spice might also help prevent tooth decay.

Dentists have stated that gum disease can lead to a range of deadly illnesses that affect your heart, brain and lungs, experts say.

Meanwhile, Salmonella and Listeria are types of bacteria that can cause food poisoning – in very rare cases, they can be deadly if they infect infants, older adults or people with compromised immune systems.

6. May protect against certain viruses

Some research suggests that cinnamon may help protect against certain viruses, such as influenza and dengue, a viral infection transmitted by mosquitoes.

But more human trials are needed to confirm these effects.

It’s advised that you don’t eat too much cinnamon in one sitting, as it could trigger breathing problems or cause mouth sores.