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Cinnamon Powder is common, but Cinnamon Sticks? Not that much of a big deal, or is it? Cinnamon Sticks benefits‘ shouldn’t be belittled. It can also be used in different ways, you just have to think outside the box.
What Are Cinnamon Sticks?
Cinnamon Sticks comes from the bark of a Cinnamomum Tree. It all starts with the shoots. Once the shoots are harvested, the outer bark is then removed next.
From the shoots, the bark is scraped off, exposing the inner bark. The inner bark is then processed to stimulate the Cinnamon Oil to surface. During this process, the inner bark also becomes flexible.
The cinnamon shoots are then soaked in the water and are left there for some time. After the shoots are soaked, it will be split down from the middle and is processed in a room where the temperature is controlled.
This way, the inner bark will easily get separated from the wood itself. This will then be left there for hours. However, for some, it will take days.
After this process, the barks are then rolled into rolls and are air-dried for another set of days. After the air-drying process, your Cinnamon Sticks are ready.
Types of Cinnamon
Before we dive deeper into knowing what Cinnamon Sticks are for and the importance of using them, let’s first know about the different types of Cinnamon.
There are two main types of Cinnamon. These are Ceylon Cinnamon and Cassia Cinnamon. Using the wrong kind of Cinnamon can be very dangerous to your health. Why? Because one kind of Cinnamon can kill your liver.
Ceylon Cinnamon
This is the less common Cinnamon among the types. Aside from that, Ceylon is also the more expensive type of Cinnamon. This Cinnamon only has a 0.001% Coumarin Content. Coumarin is a compound that is found in Cinnamon that is highly toxic to your liver and kidney. Since this Cinnamon has a low coumarin content, you can safely use this kind of Cinnamon daily.
Identifying a Ceylon Cinnamon Stick os fairly easy. Ceylon Cinnamon Stick is made of a lot of layers of barks. It also has a tan brown color and a milder scent to it. Once tasted, you can taste a tinge of sweetness that’s mixed in the spice.
Cassia Cinnamon
This is the most common kind of Cinnamon since you can easily spot them on your local market. Cassia is also the more affordable variant among the two. Which explains why this is the Cinnamon that’s mostly used. This is very dangerous.
Why?
Cassia Cinnamon contains 4% coumarin, which is too much for your liver to take. So if you love Cinnamon and are eating them every day, then I suggest that you cut the number down.
Cassia Cinnamon Sticks is easy to identify since it has a reddish-brown hue. Aside from that, its stick only has one to two rolls, which is very different from Ceylon Cinnamon. Cassia has a strong spicy scent. It also has a strong spicy taste.
Common Uses of Cinnamon Sticks
1. Turn Your Cinnamon Sticks Into Tea
You can make a tea out from your Cinnamon Stick. By brewing your Ceylon Cinnamon Stick on a pot of slow-boiled water, you can have a Cinnamon Stick Tea. After bringing the water into a full boil, remove it from the fire. You will then be getting a pale yellow-colored tea. You will then wait for the team to cool down. As the tea is cooling down, you’ll notice that the water will turn into a reddish gold.
After it has cooled down, you will then strain the water to make sure that the Cinnamon Sticks will not be left. You can now then enjoy your cup of Cinnamon Tea from a Cinnamon Stick.
2. Use Cinnamon Extracts For Your Baked Goodies
Most of the time, you’ll be using Cinnamon Powder since its easier to incorporate the powder into your mix. However, you can still use Cinnamon Stick by extracting the essence out of your Cinnamon and add them to any of your baked goodies. You can also add a Cinnamon Stick on a light rum and let it sit there for around 2 weeks.
You’ll then be getting that great Cinnamon-Rum mixture, and incorporate them on your baked goods. It’s a great ingredient that you can use to spice up your baked goods.
3. Cinnamon Stick Foot Wash Against Athlete’s Foot
Cinnamon contains antifungal and antibacterial properties, which explains why you can use them to treat your athlete’s foot. Simply add around 2 to 3 Ceylon Cinnamon Sticks and place them in warm water. Put your feet in and let it soak for 20 minutes. This way, the fungus that is residing on your foot will be killed.
Cinnamon’s Anti-Fungal properties will be able to get rid of that unwanted smell.
What Are the Cinnamon Sticks Benefits for Your Health
There are more than two benefits of Cinnamon Sticks, but today, we’ll be focusing on these two.
1. Strengthen Your Immune System
Cinnamon contains a lot of vitamins and minerals, and one of which is Vitamin C. Vitamin C is commonly used to boost your immune system, which why taking Ceylon Cinnamon daily is highly recommended by doctors.
2. Antifungal and Antibacterial
As mentioned earlier, Cinnamon contains Antifungal and Antibacterial properties that can help you fight and treat bacteria and fungus. One of which is Athletes Foot. By using Cinnamon Sticks as a foot soak, you will be able to kill the fungus that resides on your foot.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cinnamon Sticks
Takeaways
Contrasting to what we commonly know, there are lots of Cinnamon Sticks benefits that we’re not familiar with. Plus, you can use Cinnamon Sticks in different ways. You can use it for your baked goodies and teas. We can all agree that Cinnamon Sticks benefits include health benefits such as strengthening our immune system.