Health Properties of Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a spice derived from the bark of cinnamon trees. It's commonly found ground in sweet foods. Cinnamon is found as an essential oil and as a capsule, as well.

The health benefits of cinnamon are controversial. While some studies have concluded that this common spice can have effective healing properties, other sources counter that more research needs to be conducted.

Cinnamon to Boost Brain Function

• In 2004, Dr. P. Zoladz of the Wheeling Jesuit University conducted a study on the effects of natural odors on cognitive function. Dr. Zoladz and his team concluded that chewing cinnamon gum--or smelling cinnamon--helped improve study participant's cognitive function. Study participants were exposed to other aromas, but cinnamon by far had the most promising effects when it came to brain function.

  This lead researchers to believe that cinnamon may be helpful to those with memory loss or test-taking anxiety.

The Benefits of Calcium and Fiber

• The website whfoods.com reports that cinnamon is an excellent source of dietary fiber, iron and calcium.

  Fiber and calcium both help the body by removing bile, which can build up in the body and damage colon cells. This reduces the risk of colon cancer and may help lower cholesterol levels and prevent heart disease.

  The fiber levels in cinnamon may also help to provide relief from irritable bowel syndrome and constipation.

Cinnamon as an Antioxidant

• A 2005 study at the Department of Botany and Department of Zoology at The University of Hong Kong tested the antioxidant properties of 26 spices, including cinnamon. Cinnamon was found to have the highest antioxidant capacity in the Lauraceae group, a family of plants that includes cassia, laurel, avocado and sassafras.

As a Treatment for Diabetes

• In 2006, Dr. Richard Anderson reported that small amounts of cinnamon, taken daily, could decrease the risk of developing diabetes by up to 30 percent.

  Dr. Anderson and his colleagues also found that cinnamon works in the body in a way similar to insulin, increasing certain proteins in the body that control insulin response, glucose transport and inflammation. This may lead to further investigation as to how cinnamon can help diabetics stabilize insulin levels within their bodies.

  While these findings are promising, the Mayo Clinic doesn't condone the use of cinnamon to treat diabetes, as it claims that further studies must be conducted to confirm cinnamon's health benefits.

Other Studies and Conditions

• While some sources report that cinnamon can help lower cholesterol, the Mayo Clinic does not endorse this treatment, as it says there is not enough definitive evidence of this.

  Further studies by Dr. Anderson and his team of colleagues have suggested that cinnamon's anti-inflammatory properties may be useful as a treatment for arthritis and some forms of heart disease, as well as for Alzheimer's.

  Other studies are underway to test cinnamon's abilities to treat polycystic ovary syndrome on women, pre-diabetic metabolic syndrome and obesity.

  However, most of these studies are still in the testing stages, and it's important not to self-medicate with cinnamon. Speak to your doctor before you begin taking an herbal supplement or adding substantial amounts of cinnamon to your daily diet.