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Cinnamon is an aromatic condiment that can be used in several recipes, as it provides a more sweet flavor for foods, in addition to being able to be consumed in the form of tea.
Regular consumption of cinnamon, together with a healthy and balanced diet, can bring several health benefits, the main ones being:
- Help control diabetes because it improves the use of sugar;
- Improve digestive disorders such as gas, spasmodic problems and to treat diarrhea due to its antibacterial, antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory effect;
- Combat respiratory tract infections as it has a drying effect on mucous membranes and is a natural expectorant;
- Decrease fatigue and improve mood because it increases resistance to stress;
- Help fight cholesterol by the presence of antioxidants;
- It helps in digestion, especially when mixed with honey because honey has enzymes that facilitate digestion and cinnamon antibacterial, antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory effect;
- Decreases appetite as it is rich in fiber;
- Reduces fat accumulation because it improves tissue sensitivity to insulin action;
- It improves intimate contact because it is an aphrodisiac and improves blood circulation, increasing sensitivity and pleasure, which also favors sexual contact.
- It helps to lower blood pressure due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that help to relax blood vessels.
All these benefits of cinnamon are due to the fact that cinnamon is rich in mucilage, coumarin and tannin, which gives it antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antispasmodic, anesthetic and probiotic properties. To get all the health benefits of cinnamon just consume 1 teaspoon a day.
Nutritional information of cinnamon
The following table provides nutritional information for 100 grams of cinnamon:
Components | Amount per 100 g of cinnamon |
Energy | 315 calories |
Water | 10 g |
Proteins | 3.9 g |
Fats | 3.2 g |
Carbohydrates | 55.5 g |
Fibers | 24.4 g |
Vitamin A | 26 mcg |
Vitamin C | 28 mg |
Calcium | 1230 mg |
Iron | 38 mg |
Magnesium | 56 mg |
Potassium | 500 mg |
Sodium | 26 mg |
Phosphor | 61 mg |
Zinc | 2 mg |
How to use cinnamon
The used parts of cinnamon are its bark, found in supermarkets in the form of cinnamon stick, and its essential oil, which can be found in health food stores.
A popular way to enjoy the benefits of cinnamon is to use it as a seasoning in meat, fish, chicken and even tofu. To do this, just grind, 2 anise stars, 1 teaspoon of pepper, 1 teaspoon of coarse salt and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon. Store the seasoning in the refrigerator and it is ready to use at any time.
Sprinkling 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder on fruit salad or oatmeal is a great strategy to help regulate blood glucose naturally, being useful in controlling diabetes and for weight loss. Learn more about using cinnamon to lose weight.
How to make cinnamon tea
Another very popular way to use cinnamon is to make tea, which besides being very aromatic, brings all the health benefits of cinnamon.
Ingredients
- 1 cinnamon stick;
- 1 cup of boiling water.
Preparation mode
Put the cinnamon stick in the cup with the boiling water and let it stand for 10 minutes. Then remove the cinnamon stick and consume up to 3 cups a day, before meals.
If the flavor of the tea is too intense, it is possible to leave the cinnamon stick in the water for less time, between 5 to 10 minutes, or add a few drops of lemon or a thin slice of ginger, for example.
Healthy Cinnamon Recipes
Some recipes that can be made with cinnamon are:
1. Banana and cinnamon cake
Ingredients
- 5 eggs;
- 2 and ¼ cups of wheat flour;
- 1 cup of demerara sugar tea;
- 1 tablespoon of baking powder;
- ¾ cups of milk tea;
- 2 mashed bananas;
- 1 cup of oil tea;
- ½ cup of tea from crushed nuts.
Preparation mode:
Beat the eggs, sugar, milk and oil for about 5 minutes in a blender. Then add the flour and baking powder, beating a little more to mix everything. Finally, pass the dough into a container, add the mashed bananas and crushed walnuts and stir well until the dough is uniform.
Place the dough in a greased pan and place in a preheated oven at 180º until golden brown. Then sprinkle cinnamon on top of the cake.
2. Baked apple with cinnamon
Ingredients:
- 2 Units of apple
- 2 Cinnamon sticks units
- 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
Preparation mode:
Wash the apples and remove the central part, where the stalk and seeds are, but without breaking the apples. Place the apples in an ovenproof dish, placing a cinnamon stick in the center and sprinkling with sugar. Bake at 200ºC for 15 minutes or until the apples are very soft.
Possible side effects
In general, the use of cinnamon in small amounts is safe. The side effects of cinnamon can be seen when the species is consumed Cinnamomum cassia in large quantities, as it contains coumarin and can trigger allergies and skin irritation, hypoglycemia and liver damage in people with severe liver disease.
Contraindications
Cinnamon should not be consumed during pregnancy, by people who have gastric or intestinal ulcers, or who have severe liver diseases.
In the case of babies and children, it is important to be careful especially if there is a family history of allergy, asthma or eczema.
Check out all the benefits of cinnamon in the following video: