Cinnamon is quite a popular spice because of its aroma and many benefits health-wise, particularly lowering the level of sugar in the blood. Cinnamon is used in so many ways – tea, topping sugar, and so much more. It is also commonly known as a blood pressure tea because people often take cinnamon as tea. Similarly, some people use cinnamon as a food preservative and others use it for its medical benefits.
Cinnamon is packed full of various health beneficial compounds that alleviate menstrual cramps, aid weight loss, improve heart health, and reduce inflammation, amongst others. Find out more about the various health benefits of cinnamon as we proceed in this article.
Imitate insulin
When you look at the nutritional facts of cinnamon, the last thing that’d come to your mind is that it’s a superfood. Nevertheless, you’d be amazed to know that cinnamon is such a superfood that it can even imitate insulin. For example, if the pancreas is not generating the right quality of insulin or the cells don’t respond to the available insulin in the body, consuming cinnamon may be helpful.
Cinnamon aids the transport of glucose between cells and the body system, hence imitating insulin. By increasing the sensitivity of insulin in the body, cinnamon will lower the level of sugar in the blood. As such, insulin will be more effective at moving glucose into the cells.
Reduce fasting blood sugar
Apart from its common use as a blood pressure tea, cinnamon is also known as a great remedy to lower sugar levels during the fasting blood sugar period. Patients with diabetes (type 2) will greatly benefit from consuming cinnamon. This is because patients with diabetes (type 2) can’t break down sugar. But by consuming cinnamon, they will be able to reduce the sugar in their bodies. Hence, cinnamon alleviates the potential of diabetic complications.
Some studies also report patients who consume cinnamon may experience a decrease in the level of hemoglobin A1c in their bodies. Hemoglobin A1c is a form of hemoglobin, with monosaccharide sugar spontaneously bonding with it. These chemically linked sugar molecules are found in the bloodstream and can increase the chances of causing diabetes (type 2).
Slows down digestive enzymes in the stomach
Cinnamon also can slow down digestive enzymes in the stomach. However, this is dependent on the number of carbs the food contains, the amount of food eaten, and the prior sugar level in the blood. Note that individuals that experience fluctuation in their blood sugar have a higher chance of experiencing inflammation or oxidative stress. Sadly, oxidative stress can cause several damages to the body’s cells.
Herbaly recommends individuals experiencing blood sugar spikes should consume cinnamon. Cinnamon can ensure a low sugar level in the blood by inhibiting digestive enzymes in the small intestine.
The risk of diabetes complications is reduced
Consuming cinnamon can also help alleviate diabetic complications by ensuring risk factors such as heart diseases are prevented. For example, in research carried out on diabetic (type 2) patients, the result shows that consuming cinnamon regularly can reduce the average level of triglycerides and cholesterol. Furthermore, other studies suggest that taking cinnamon as a supplement can significantly lower both diastolic and systolic blood pressure.
Preserve brain function
The brain needs sugar to function. But how would individuals with defects like diabetes, who are unable to process sugar, get their supply of sugar to the brain? Well, such patients are encouraged to consume brain-healthy food like drinking blood pressure tea – cinnamon. Cinnamon is excellent for brain health and neurological benefits.
The brain is a complex organ in the body that needs a constant supply of sugar and oxygen. Deficiency in any of these two can lead to brain damage. As such, it is important to ensure that the body is functioning properly, and sugar level is kept at average. Drinking cinnamon tea every day, or using cinnamon as a supplement, will help greatly in balancing the sugar level in the body. Hence, the brain function will be preserved and remain healthy.
Bottom line
In conclusion, cinnamon has several health benefits apart from what we mentioned in this article like fighting skin aging, anticancer properties, reducing ACNE, amongst others. Cinnamon also comes with powerful antioxidant properties that offer several health benefits. At Herbaly we recommend drinking cinnamon tea to enjoy these benefits and more. And the best part is that this blood pressure tea can easily be incorporated into any diet.
