You might be wrapping yourselves in a warm blanket with a nice cup of hot chocolate right about now and, with the Christmas festivities coming in close around the corner I wouldn’t blame you! With the anticipation of gifts and roast dinners, winter is also an excuse to order Starbuck’s cinnamon-spiced lattes. Oh wait, that’s just me! But if you haven’t tried one then no problem, just read on for Cinnamon: 4 Reasons Why You Should Go Crazy with it This Xmas!
1. Cinnamon is Loaded with Antioxidants
Antioxidants are vital for maintaining the balance of free radicals in your body. Free radicals are used by your white blood cells to fight off disease, however, having too many free radicals may cause serious harm. Cinnamon is loaded with polyphenol antioxidants which also have anti-inflammation effects on the body. Some spices, including this one, promote healthy gut bacteria and therefore improve gut health.
2. Helps Lower Blood Sugar Levels
Cinnamon is a great spice that has anti-diabetic effects. Introducing cinnamon into your diet may reduce the amount of glucose that enters into your bloodstream as there has been a significant amount of scientific evidence that suggests cinnamon is capable of lowering blood sugar levels.
3. Cancer-Fighting Properties (backed by various studies)
There have been some experiments that suggest cinnamon extract may help fend off cancer. Cancer is characterised by uncontrolled cell growth, and this spice appears to be toxic to cancer cells – increasing the formation of blood cells in tumours causes their cell death. There are several studies that suggest that cinnamon aids in fighting cancer, however the full extent to which cinnamon affects living cells is yet to be confirmed.
4. High Nutritional Value
Cinnamon is used frequently in Chinese medicine for its herbal healing effects. It contains cinnamaldehyde, which has antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties. Cinnamaldehyde is also responsible for its distinctive, rich and remarkable smell and great luxurious taste!
