Cinnamon: Pantry staple -- and medical powerhouse? Photos: 12 healthy herbs and spices: A closer look. Our ancestors used herbs and spices to flavor foods and soon learned that some of them seemed to improve their health. Today, science is looking more closely at those claims. Read on to find out the latest research on these historically healthy spices and herbs. Hide Caption. One of the most commonly used spices in the world, cinnamon has been linked in various studies to improvement in cholesterol and blood sugar control, and it seems to have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects.
Enjoy it on your food, but hold off on using capsule supplements, says Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics spokeswoman Lauri Wright. There's not enough research on dosage and long-term impact, and if you have liver issues, it could be dangerous.
Uniquely fragrant, rosemary has historically been known for its impact on memory. Shakespeare wrote about it in Hamlet, when Ophelia says to her brother Laertes, "There's rosemary; that's for remembrance. Its natural antioxidant abilities persuaded the European Union to approve rosemary extract as a food preservative. As with any herb, be careful. There are compounds in rosemary oil that could worsen bleeding or seizures and be harmful if taken by mouth. Turmeric, a common spice in curry powder and other Indian dishes, is another powerhouse spice often touted for its anti-inflammatory properties.
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health says that claim isn't yet supported but points to studies that show it can control knee pain as well as ibuprofen, reduce the number of heart attacks after bypass surgery, and reduce skin irritation after breast cancer radiation treatment. Be aware that using turmeric in high doses or over a long period could cause stomach distress. Ancient records from Greece, Rome and Egypt mention the use of mint as a healing herb; today, we often see peppermint used for colds, headaches and digestive issues.
Studies of peppermint oil show that it may improve irritable bowel symptoms when taken in capsules and when applied topically may lessen tension headaches, but there's no evidence that it can help the common cold or other conditions. Be warned: Excessive doses of peppermint oil can be toxic. Asian medicine has used dried ginger for centuries for stomachaches, nausea and diarrhea.
When used as a spice, ginger is considered safe, but there is some concern that it could interact with blood thinners and increase the flow of bile, which might affect anyone with gallstone disease.
Garlic is the edible bulb of the lily family and is widely promoted as a health aid for high blood pressure, cancer, cholesterol and the common cold. But the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health says the research into these claims is inconclusive. The center recommends adding garlic to foods but warns that it can increase the risk of bleeding in those on warfarin or needing surgery and can interfere with some drugs, including one that treats HIV.
It takes 75, saffron blossoms to produce one pound of saffron, making it one of the world's most expensive spices. However, coumarin is not present in Ceylon cinnamon, which means it has the wonderful benefits of cinnamon without this drawback. Some countries in Europe set a tolerable daily intake for coumarin. In Germany, this number is 0. An average teaspoon of cinnamon weighs about 2. At these levels, a single teaspoon per day could put many average sized adults at risk of liver damage.
This is especially true for individuals who already have pre-existing liver disease. Parents should also be careful, because a small child could ingest too much coumarin from consuming a relatively minor quantity of Cassia cinnamon. For example, an 18 kg, 5-year-old child would only need to consume 1.
While this is safe if it happens occasionally, regularly serving your child food with cinnamon could be dangerous. Early studies in rodents found that coumarin could lead to cancerous tumours.
This greatly improves glucose uptake by your cells, though it acts much slower than insulin itself. For more information on how you can lower your blood sugar levels, check out 15 easy ways to lower blood sugar levels naturally.
Cinnamon has been shown to reduce fasting blood sugar levels, having a potent anti-diabetic effect at 1—6 grams or 0. Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by progressive loss of the structure or function of brain cells.
However, human research is lacking. Overall, the evidence is limited to test-tube and animal studies, which suggest that cinnamon extracts may protect against cancer 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , It acts by reducing the growth of cancer cells and the formation of blood vessels in tumors and appears to be toxic to cancer cells, causing cell death. A study in mice with colon cancer revealed that cinnamon is a potent activator of detoxifying enzymes in the colon, protecting against further cancer growth These findings were supported by test-tube experiments, which showed that cinnamon activates protective antioxidant responses in human colon cells Whether cinnamon has any effect in living, breathing humans needs to be confirmed in controlled studies.
For a list of 13 foods that could potentially lower your risk of cancer, you might want to read this article. Cinnamaldehyde, one of the main active components of cinnamon, may help fight various kinds of infection.
It can also inhibit the growth of certain bacteria, including Listeria and Salmonella 32 , However, the evidence is limited and so far cinnamon has not been shown to reduce infections elsewhere in the body. The antimicrobial effects of cinnamon may also help prevent tooth decay and reduce bad breath 34 , Cinnamaldehyde has antifungal and antibacterial properties, which may reduce infections and help fight tooth decay and bad breath.
Cinnamon extracted from Cassia varieties is thought to help fight against HIV-1, the most common strain of the HIV virus in humans 36 , A laboratory study looking at HIV-infected cells found that cinnamon was the most effective treatment of all 69 medicinal plants studied The Cassia variety contains significant amounts of a compound called coumarin, which is believed to be harmful in large doses.
All cinnamon should have health benefits, but Cassia may cause problems in large doses due to the coumarin content. You may be able to find Ceylon in some health food stores, and there is a good selection on Amazon. At the end of the day, cinnamon is one of the most delicious and healthiest spices on the planet. It can lower blood sugar levels, reduce heart disease risk factors and has a plethora of other impressive health benefits. However, eating too much could cause these 6 side effects.
Honey and cinnamon can both boost your health, but some people think they have even more powerful benefits when combined. The distinctive smell and flavour of cinnamon comes from the essential oils contained in the bark, called cinnamaldehyde. Cinnamaldehyde displays anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties.
Cinnamon also contains large amounts of polyphenol antioxidants. Antioxidants can help protect the body from disease and are found in fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices. The antioxidants in cinnamon have been found to have anti-inflammatory effects. Some spices, including cinnamon, have prebiotic properties that promote the growth of beneficial bacteria and help suppress the growth of pathogenic bacteria.
Therefore, including spices regularly in your diet may help improve gut health. There is some evidence to suggest that the consumption of cinnamon is associated with a short-term reduction in blood pressure. Although the evidence is hopeful, it would be premature to recommend cinnamon for blood pressure control until a comprehensive randomised controlled trial RCT involving a larger number of patients has been carried out.
More recent studies have, to date, shown less promising findings. It has been suggested that cinnamon can have a moderate effect in improving glycaemic control and supporting the management of type 2 diabetes. However, conclusions are mixed, and larger randomised controlled trials are needed in well-defined population groups using standardised interventions in order to definitively determine the efficacy of using cinnamon in subjects with diabetes.
However, a small amount used at breakfast or in baking will not do any harm, and can be eaten as part of a balanced diet.
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