What’s So Great About Cinnamon?

In a Men’s Health article titled “The 10 Best Foods You Aren’t Eating,” cinnamon was front and centre. To which I say “ha!” because I eat it every day…. now if only kale tasted good sprinkled in my coffee. If you’re not adding cinnamon to your diet, this might just be the easiest healthy “fix”  we’ve ever recommended.

Here are cinnamon’s stellar stats according to Men’s Health: “cinnamon helps control your blood sugar, which influences your risk of heart disease. In fact, USDA researchers found that people with type-2 diabetes who consumed 1 g of cinnamon a day for 6 weeks (about 1/4 teaspoon each day) significantly reduced not only their blood sugar but also their triglycerides and LDL (bad) cholesterol. Credit the spice’s active ingredients, methylhydroxychalcone polymers, which increase your cells’ ability to metabolize sugar by up to 20 times.” Seriously? My morning cup of coffee may actually be the only thing keeping me alive right now??

While you may not be topping up the kiddo’s morning latte with the spice, cinnamon is worth getting into their diets too. According to www.whfoods.com, cinnamon is antimicrobial (umm, hello germs…now beat it), and it boosts brain function (A+ on the spelling test? Don’t mind if I do). Plus, it’s one flavor you just might not have to do the hard sell on. I’m not saying cinnamon buns are necessarily the way to go but…it’s for the children.