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When thinking about Cinnamon uses, the first thing that comes into our mind is the pastries. Those sweet aromatic Cinnamon Rolls that could certainly fill up our stomachs. However, there’s more to Cinnamon than just being a basic spice in your spice rack.
What is Cinnamon?
Cinnamon is a spice that was widely used, even in ancient times. In fact, Cinnamon was one of the spices that Christopher Columbus was searching for during his expedition.
This was during his journey to search for an alternate route towards the East Indies.
There are actually two types of Cinnamon: Cassia Cinnamon and Ceylon Cinnamon.
Cassia Cinnamon
This is your Cinnamomum Cassia, which is commonly called as the False Cassia or the Chinese Cinnamon. As the name suggests, Cassia Cinnamon is native to China. This Cinnamon has a strong flavor and is perfect for adding a bite to your meals. The bark of this Cinnamon is thick. When this Cinnamon is dried, it rolls into what we commonly call as Cinnamon Sticks.
Cassia is reddish in color. Aside from that, it also has this distinctive strong scent and taste.
One of the effects of Cassia Cinnamon when you take it, it can increase your Metabolism. As your metabolic rate is increased, the food that you’re eating will be processed much faster. If that’s the case, then it can be used as a fat burner.
Cassia, however, contains a high amount of Coumarin. The side effects of this compound are that it can harm your liver if taken in a large amount.
Ceylon Cinnamon
Scientifically called Cinnamomum Zelanicum and is commonly known as True Cinnamon, Ceylon is a Cinnamon which is native to Sri Lanka and Southern India. It has a tanned hue. Ceylon’s Bark is much thinner than Cassia.
It has a delicately mild and sweet taste as compared to the Cassia. This is a perfect addition to your baked goodies. When Ceylon’s bark is dried up, it rolls into a lot of thin layers. These thin layers of bark are what make your Ceylon Cinnamon Stick.
One of the benefits of Ceylon Cinnamon is that it can be a great blood sugar level regulator. Taking Ceylon every day could increase your insulin resistance, which is great for people who are constantly checking their sugar level. Unlike Cassia, Ceylon doesn’t contain coumarin or any compound that could potentially harm our body.
Cinnamon Uses: How It’s Commonly Used
Adding Spice to Our Meals
You may have heard of cinnamon puff pastry and cinnamon rolls once or twice. One of the most popular Cinnamon uses is it’s aroma and flavor.
You may also have tasted some savory meals and dishes with Cinnamon in them. In fact, in India, Cinnamon is one of its essential spices. The reason for this is that it adds more aroma and flavor to the dish.
Aside from these dishes, it can also be used as a tea. Cinnamon can be mixed with either honey or lemon to give it more kick. Cinnamon’s uses in food will never go old. It has been used before and will always be used.
Skin Protection
Cinnamon is rich in Antioxidants. These antioxidants can protect your skin from potential damage from both free radicals and dirt, which can cause premature skin aging.
Aside from that, it can also make your skin smooth and soft.
Some people even use it as a skin moisturizer. They simply mix ground cinnamon with petroleum jelly.
They also use ground cinnamon and cinnamon powder and mix it with honey and use it as a mask to treat acne.
Find out more about How to Have a Smooth and Flawless Skin Using Cinnamon here.
Cinnamon Supplements
Aside from using it to spice up your dish, it can also protect your skin from potential dangers. Plus, it can be used as a food supplement. Yes, there are a lot of Cinnamon uses for health.
One of which are Ceylon Food Supplements. Ceylon Food Supplements as they can help you boost your immune system, regulate your blood sugar level, and boost your blood circulation.
More Cinnamon Uses and Health Benefits
Cinnamon is one of the spices that has tons of health benefits. We have named a few which could be a lot of help for you.
1. Fast Metabolism Which is Great for Weight Loss
One great thing about Cinnamon, however, is that it can increase your metabolic rate. This effect is a lot stronger on the Cassia Cinnamon rather than the Ceylon Cinnamon. Both Cinnamon, however, can give you fast Metabolism.
What Can A Fast Metabolism Do to You?
Fast Metabolism allows you to process the food that you eat, and burn it, faster than your body’s usual rate.
Cinnamon contains an enzyme that can alter the negative effects of eating food that is high in carbs.
Usually, the carbs that we eat is processed into fat, but with the enzyme on Cinnamon, these carbs are turned into something that could boost our energy, preventing the depositing of fats in our body.
2. Blood Sugar Level Regulator
The most popular benefit of Cinnamon is to regulate the level of glucose in our body. Studies have been conducted regarding this matter, which proved that taking Cinnamon regularly can decrease your blood sugar in your body.
Aside from that, it can also increase the insulin in your body. Cinnamon can mimic the properties of insulin, which include regulating blood sugar level. Although Cinnamon has a much slower rate than the insulin, it could still do the job of keeping your blood sugar level in check.
3. Anti Inflammatory
One good thing about Cinnamon is that it can treat the inflammation in your body. Inflammation is a natural process in our body, which involves repairing damaged tissues and treat body infections.
If you think that this inflammation is a good thing, then think again. Why? Inflammation can also bring you harm. Sometimes becomes chronic, so instead of treating your tissues, it damages them instead. Cinnamon can prevent these from happening since it has an anti-inflammatory compound.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cinnamon Uses
Takeaways
Cinnamon is more than just a spice on your spice rack. Not only will it add flavor to your meals and dishes, but it could also boost your immune system and make your skin smooth and silky. Remember to use only Ceylon Cinnamon if you’re planning on using taking it every day since Cassia Cinnamon can be toxic if it is taken in high amount.