At holiday season, feel free to have seconds - and thirds - of this well-loved culinary favorite.
Cinnamon serves a more important purpose than flavoring the holiday season's most well-known desserts. The beloved spice is a health boost with major benefits.
Cinnamon's benefits extend beyond Mom's holiday pies. The beloved spice contains antioxidants and anti-microbial properties that fight a range of diseases.
And while the spice combats fats, diabetes and Parkinson's disease, and improves circulation, it's a sweet spice that can help eliminate the craving for sugar.
Researchers found that a diet rich in spices like cinnamon offsets fat levels in the blood, according to Fox News. A Penn State University study analyzed the blood test results of volunteers after they ate a meal with cinnamon and their results from the same meal without cinnamon. It was found that the blood samples taken after the meal with cinnamon were 13 percent higher in antioxidants and 30 percent lower in triglycerides.
One of the causes of rising blood sugar is the quick emptying of the stomach. Cinnamon has been shown to slow the process and improve the effects of insulin. The spice was found to prevent tissue damage and inflammation caused by high levels of blood sugar.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture researchers tested 22 obese volunteers who were pre-diabetic. Some were given a placebo, the others were given a cinnamon-water solution. After 12 weeks those who took the cinnamon solution showed improved antioxidant status and reduced blood sugar levels.
When administered to subjects, the National Institutes of Health found that ground cinnamon has the ability to improve motor functions and help normalize the functions of neurotransmitters in Parkinson's patients.
Cinnamon is also known to prevent heart disease, improve circulation and is helpful to balance blood pressure. When added to foods, it helps curb cravings for sugar.
