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Cinnamon has been revered throughout recorded history. Actually, cinnamon was so highly regarded among the early nations that it was thought of as a suitable gift for the most esteemed rulers, kings and queens.

As An Antioxidant

Experts do not yet agree on the health benefits of cinnamon, though it is agreed that cinnamon is full of antioxidants. The plant from which cinnamon is derived, C. zeylanicum, contains a host of various antioxidants making it a potentially viable food usable for managing oxidative stress. This could mean that cinnamon has a role to play in treatment of several chronic diseases associated with free radical damage. One of the easiest ways for people to utilize cinnamon in their diet is by making tea from its bark.

Some of the particular antioxidants that make up the Health Benefits of Cinnamon are caffeic acid, camphene, coumaric acid, epicatechin, gamma-terpinene, isoeugenol, linalyl-acetate, mannitol, methyl-eugenol, myrcene, phenol, proanthocyanidins and vanillin.

Pregnant women shuold not seek to consume large quantities of cinnamon in any form, tea or herbal supplement.

Diabetes Alternative

As an inducer of insulin response, cinnamon could prove an effective treatment of people with Type II diabetes. Studies thus far have shown that cinnamon has some significant pharmacological potential in the treatment of Type II diabetes. But the actual plant used in most studies has been the related Cassia plant. Cassia is covered later in this article.

In 2003, a study published in Diabetes Care, outlined a test group of sixty men and women. The participants were given doses of 1, 3 or 6 grams of cinnamon daily in a pill form. This would be the equivalent of about one fourth to one teaspoon of cinnamon.

Forty days later, all 3 test quantities of cinnamon lowered fasting blood glucose levels by 18 - 29%, triglycerides 23 - 30%, “bad” or LDL cholesterol by 7 - 27%, and cholesterol in total by 12 - 26%.

Cinnamon and Cassia

The name cinnamon is the proper term for Ceylon cinnamon which is alternately called “true cinnamon”.

The related plant, Cassia (Cinnamomum aromaticum), Cinnamomum burmannii and Saigon Cinnamon (Cinnamomum loureiroi), are usually promoted as true cinnamon, or sometimes differentiate from true cinnamon as “Indonesian cinnamon”, “Chinese cinnamon” or “Vietnamese cinnamon”.

True Ceylon cinnamon is produced only from the thin inner bark of the plant and is not considered as strong or harsh as cassia. Cassia is usually noted as having a stronger flavor than true cinnamon.

In US supermarkets, powdered cinnamon sold is really cassia. Cassia is the “cinnamon” normally found in supplements. It physically contains a compound known as coumarin.

Coumarin is found in other plants like celery, chamomile, sweet clover, and parsley. Coumarin is a toxic element and European health agencies have of late advised against consuming large amounts of cassia. Coumarin is known to cause liver and kidney damage when consumed in high concentrations. True Ceylon cinnamon has insignificant amounts of coumarin.

Check with your health care professional before making any changes to your diet.