Cinnamon: Weight Loss and Diabetes

“Cinnamomum verum” known commonly as “cinnamon” is a spice loved by many all over the world. This plant is native among many tropical countries such as Sri Lanka and India. Cinnamon possesses many qualities which makes it a highly sought after spice. It has a very pleasant and sweet aroma and also it possesses a significant taste which is quite sweet but strong at the same time. The qualities of this plant are a highly discussed area and many research shows that cinnamon displays many important characteristics other than that of the spice. In general, the dried bark of cinnamon is used and also cinnamon oil is extracted and it is also used in many occasions. Some of the commonly known benefits of cinnamon are:

1. Its effect on the insulin makes it beneficial to diabetic patients.
2. It acts as a disinfectant as it possesses many anti bacterial qualities.
3. It helps to repel many urinary tract diseases.
4. Due to the soothing effect; cinnamon can act as a brain tonic.
5. It relieves arthritis pain.
6. It is a natural food preservative.
7. It can be used to purify blood.
8. It helps in losing weight.

This report discusses about two of the most important aspects in the list above, the effects on diabetes and weight loss. It is a fact that these two problems are quite prominent in the current society.

The effect of cinnamon regarding weight loss.

Many websites have discussed this issue and many solutions have been discovered, however a common factor can be observed in almost all the cases. Therefore, to sum up the inferences given in almost all the websites, it can be observed that in order to aid in weight loss, cinnamon powder has to be mixed with honey and the resulting paste should be consumed to gain prefect results.

According to www.weightlossadvisor.com (2009), a recipe is given for the mixture and it is as follows:

1. Half a teaspoon of cinnamon powder.
2. One teaspoon of honey.
3. One cup of boiling water.

First, the cinnamon and the honey are to be mixed into a paste and then the water should be added to make it a liquid. This should be stirred and filtered and the residual drink should be taken as half before breakfast and the remainder after dinner. The site further explains that this will ensure that 3kg is lost per week if taken properly.

Recipes similar or identical to what is mentioned above can be observed in many other websites as well. For example:

1.  www.diet.lovetoknow.com (2009) has stated the exact same procedure but it has mentioned the results in depth. The site explains that consuming the cinnamon and honey mixture will:
   1.  Make sure that weight is lost in a constant rate.
   2. Cleanses parasites, fungus and bacteria out of the digestive tract.
   3. Give increased energy which will result in a better mood throughout the day.
2. www.countrykitchenpantry.com (2009) gives information about an actual product which is called “cinnamon and honey weight loss tea” which contains the exact same recipe and will ensure that proper weight loss is done and most importantly, the cinnamon and honey mixture is said to stop accumulation of fat in the body even if a person eats a high calorie diet. Therefore, the buyers can enjoy their normal eating habits while using the product and still it will ensure that the person will lose fat.

 Considering the facts given above, it can be clear that the mixture of cinnamon and honey will give out the expected results; provided that the correct methods are followed and this can be used as an affordable and effective cure against weight loss.

Cinnamon against diabetes

Another vital benefit of cinnamon is that it can be used as an effective method to control diabetes. Since diabetes is a highly dangerous disease, a cure to control it can be very important. Some of the research done regarding this is listed as follows:

1. www.cholesterol.about.com (2009), explains that a study in 2003 has proved that a daily intake of one-half teaspoon (1 gram) of cinnamon not only lowered blood sugar levels in type two diabetics, it also significantly lowered LDL (“bad” cholesterol). Also it has shown that the HDL cholesterol (“good” cholesterol) is not affected by the intake of cinnamon. Therefore it is effective against both blood sugar and cholesterol.
2. According to www.diabetes.about.com (2009), the research done has been based on the assumption that cinnamon may improve blood glucose and cholesterol levels in people with Type 2 diabetes. “The study consisted of 60 people with Type 2 diabetes who were divided into 6 groups of 10. Three groups received cinnamon in the form of capsules totaling 1, 3 or 6 grams of cinnamon a day. The other three groups received placebo capsules. The capsules were taken three times a day, after meals. All three levels of cinnamon showed results, leading researchers to believe that as little as 1 gram a day of cinnamon may benefit people who have Type 2 diabetes”. The results have been highly satisfactory and hence it is proven that cinnamon indeed has a good effect on blood glucose.
3. www.diabeteshealth.com (2009), further explains that cinnamon possesses an “insulin-like” effect which makes glucose store in the body as glycogen, making it easier to break down glucose.
4. According to Mike Hodge (2009), American scientists have proven that a teaspoon of cinnamon per day may help prevent the onset of diabetes. According to their research, cinnamon is said to possess the ability to rekindle the ability of fat cells in diabetics to respond to insulin and greatly increased glucose removal and breakdown. The report further explains that patients with type-two diabetes had found the use of cinnamon very effective and also due to its unique energizing ability had tempted many to use cinnamon in a regular basis. www.chetday.com (2009).

In conclusion, it is evident that cinnamon can be used as an effective way to control diabetes and as the research suggests, this can prove to be a very affordable not to mention effective alternative to battle diabetes.

References

1. www.weightlossadvisor.com (2009), honey and cinnamon for weight loss. (Online), Available: http://www.weight-loss-advisor.com/blog/2006/05/01/honey-and-cinnamon-for-weight-loss/ (8th October 2009)
2. www.diet.lovetoknow.com (2009), Honey and Cinnamon for Weight Loss: The Claim. (Online), Available: http://diet.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Honey_and_Cinnamon_for_Weight_Loss (8th October 2009)
3. www.countrykitchenpantry.com (2009), Cinnamon and honey weight loss tea. (Online), Available: http://countrykitchenpantry.com/2007/04/15/cinnamon-and-honey-weight-loss-tea/ (9th October 2009)
4. www.cholesterol.about.com (2009), Cinnamon: does it lower cholesterol levels. (Online), Available: http://cholesterol.about.com/od/naturalalternatives/a/cinnamon.htm (9th October 2009)
5. www.diabetes.about.com (2009), Can cinnamon help lower blood glucose and cholesterol? (Online), Available: http://diabetes.about.com/od/whatsonthehorizon/qt/cinnamon.htm (9th October 2009)
6. www.diabeteshealth.com (2009), Cinnamon: Should it be taken as a diabetes medication? (Online), Available: http://www.diabeteshealth.com/read/2008/12/25/5703/cinnamon-should-it-be-taken-as-a-diabetes-medication/ (9th October 2009)
7. Hodge, M (2009), Cinnamon Helps stop type 2 diabetes. (Online), Available: http://chetday.com/type2diabetes.htm (9th October 2009)