Cinnamon has been in use for thousands of years. The earliest recorded use is in the ancient Egypt civilization. Historically, it has been used as a spice in different recipes and cuisines. Additionally, some ancient cultures discovered the medicinal value of cinnamon. Cinnamon is obtained from the inner bark of a tree, scientifically known as Cinnamomum. The tree is cut, after which its inner bark is extracted from the stem. The inner bark is then dried and curled to form the cinnamon sticks. The sticks are finally crushed to form the cinnamon powder.
Two major varieties of cinnamon exist namely Ceylon and Cassia. Cassia is readily available today than Ceylon. Ceylon commonly referred to as the true cinnamon has more healing power than cassia. It also has a sweet pleasant flavor that makes it a powerful spice in cuisines. Cassia has medicinal value as well as sweet aroma for use in spices. There are 6 major reasons for you to embrace cinnamon in your diet.
Natural Flavor
Cinnamon is a natural replacement to processed flavors like sugar and salt. As a diabetic, taking sugar or salt often result in further complications. In fact, most diabetics are advised to keep away from processed flavors due to their aggravating health effects. There are 2 major reasons for choosing to use cinnamon instead of sugar or salt. First, it is natural and has no negative side effects that may exacerbate the delicate situation facing the diabetics. Secondly, cinnamon has a pleasant taste that improves the appetite of diabetics.
Lipid Regulation
Cinnamon is useful in combating diabetes. It has shown a tremendous impact on both diabetes 1 and 2 types. Cinnamaldehyde, a major component of cinnamon is responsible for its health impacts. The component is also responsible for the pleasant aroma of cinnamon. In managing diabetes, Cinnamaldehyde regulates lipids. Diabetes mellitus is a condition attributed to your body’s failure to regulate lipids.
Insulin Regulation
Cinnamon enhances sensitivity to insulin, an important hormone in your body. The insulin hormone is responsible for the regulation of metabolism in the body. The hormone also promotes the effective use of energy. Many people are resistant to insulin hormone effects, this compromises energy use and metabolism. This is a problem faced by people with type 2 diabetics. Cinnamon helps such diabetics by improving insulin sensitivity hence promoting its metabolism.
Blood Sugar Level
Studies show that cinnamon helps in achieving the desired blood sugar level. It achieves this in two major ways. First, it inhibits glucose from entering your blood system. It does this by compromising the functioning of some digestive enzymes that are responsible for breaking down carbohydrates into glucose. This is beneficial for persons suffering from high blood sugar. Secondly, cinnamon itself plays the role of insulin. It helps to improve glucose absorption into the cell.
Since cinnamon helps in the regulation of blood sugar levels, it does not mean that you should drop diabetes medication for cinnamon. On the contrary, you should use cinnamon alongside other medication. This is possible since cinnamon helps to improve the performance of drugs. Moreover, it does not have negative side effects when used with other medications. In essence, cinnamon serves the role of improving the performance of other drugs. Better yet still, cinnamon usage plays a preventive role against diabetes.
Toxins and Pathogens
Cinnamon helps diabetics in fighting against toxins and pathogens. Polyphenols, a compound of cinnamon, is a powerful anti-oxidant. Research shows that the leading cause of death among diabetics is opportunistic infections that are poorly managed. Polyphenols protect your body against free radicals responsible for oxidative damage. Diabetes lowers the immune system in your body. Failure to regulate such pathogens may thus result in critical conditions for diabetics.
Cinnamon protects against inflammation in body tissues. Its anti-inflammatory nature helps to boost immunity by considerably lowering the chances of getting an infection. Diabetics are much prone to infectious diseases due to compromised immunity. Compromised immunity tends to increase the cost of medical care on diabetics. It may also lead to death in extreme situations since it makes diabetes medication less effective.
Risks of a heart disease
Cinnamon lowers the risks posed by heart disease in diabetics. Advancement in technology has resulted in most people having white-collar jobs. With less physical activity, many people have become increasingly prone to heart conditions. The condition has become a leading cause of global deaths, especially in developed economies. It is therefore important for diabetics to incorporate uptake of cinnamon in their diets to lower dangers posed by heart disease. In so doing, they can only concentrate on dealing with diabetes. Handling two lifestyle conditions is not only challenging physically but also financially draining.
Misconceptions about cinnamon 
Research has shown that cinnamon does not produce similar effects on different people. This implies that it may work well for some persons. On the other hand, it may fail to produce desirable results in others. It is also important to note that most of the researches has been carried out using cassia, which is available in abundance and has less healing power. Studies are still ongoing on Ceylon, which is bound to revolutionize the use of cinnamon in combating diabetes.
Secondly, the use of cinnamon is not a quick fix. Studies show that for one to attain any meaningful results. They must use cinnamon regularly. In fact many people attain good results after using cinnamon consistently for a period of 12 weeks. You should therefore not give up but persistently use cinnamon to improve your health condition. Cinnamon is mostly preventive rather than curative.
Important points to note
Cinnamon plays 6 critical roles in combating diabetes. It acts as a natural flavor. This helps to improve the appetite for diabetics who are restricted in using processed flavors. It is responsible for lipid regulation, a condition that leads to diabetes mellitus. Cinnamon promotes sensitivity to insulin, thus improving metabolism and use of energy. Insulin also helps lowers the blood sugar level by influencing digestive enzymes. Moreover, it helps fights against toxins and lowers the risks posed by heart disease. Diabetes is not only beneficial to diabetics. It also helps non-diabetics since it majorly plays a preventive role rather than curative.
