Cinnamon has a history of being used as a spice and as medicine. Cinnamon is the brown bark from a cinnamon tree. It comes in either a whole quill (which is sticks) or as ground powder.
How Cinnamon Can Help You
Cinnamon can be beneficial for stabilizing your blood sugar and also help with fatigue by giving you energy. Cinnamon increases the stabilizing effect of insulin while reducing insulin resistance. It does this in two ways. One way is by activating enzymes to stimulate insulin receptors. The second way cinnamon helps with blood sugar is by enhancing the effects of insulin-signaling pathways in your skeletal muscle tissue.
When you increase your insulin sensitivity it decreases harmful effects of carbohydrates. Consuming high glycemic carbohydrates cause blood sugar levels to fluctuate, making you crave carbohydrates throughout the day. It also promotes chronic inflammation, which in turn promotes obesity. High glycemic carbohydrates are foods such as white bread, sourdough, dark rye, canned baked beans, many cereals, jellybeans, watermelon, and full fat ice creams.
Cinnamon contains flavon-3-ol antioxidants, which enhance insulin sensitivity. This makes more of your blood glucose enter the cells where it belongs, helping your levels to stabilize which in turn stops inflammation and ends your carbohydrate cravings. Some studies show cinnamon lowering blood cholesterol as well.
A metabolic condition known as fatigue is characterized by the inability by the body to utilize glucose. Fatigue is also known as lethargy, weariness, exhaustion, and tiredness. Cinnamon increases the ability of insulin to metabolize glucose. Using cinnamon powder on food or eating raw can combat fatigue.
How to Consume Cinnamon
You want to use ½ a teaspoon of cinnamon as a spice on food, eaten raw after eating will help reduce fatigue. It will also increase your body’s ability to use glucose. The symptoms of fatigue generally go down immediately after using cinnamon. Using cinnamon on a regular basis will help improve endurance and keep fatigue to a minimum. If you drive a lot you may want to put some cinnamon sticks or a cinnamon car freshener in your car. Studies show that the scent of cinnamon while driving can make you more alert and less frustrated. It will also enhance your motivation, performance, increase alertness, and act as a central nervous system stimulant.
A few ways to enjoy cinnamon and get the benefits of stabilizing blood sugar or helping with your fatigue are to sprinkle it on toast, adding it to cream cheese or butter, sprinkle in your tea or coffee in the morning, add it to your cereal, or add it to applesauce.
A Final Note About Cinnamon
While cinnamon has some awesome health benefits, it shouldn't be used as a treatment or cure for any condition. Cinnamon is not a substitute for a doctor-prescribed medication. While it may seem like the perfect cure for fatigue and other issues, you shouldn't ignore symptoms you are experiencing because you think some cinnamon will do the trick.
You should only consume cinnamon as a supplement to your diet. If you are experiencing any abnormal symptoms, consult with your doctor. Your doctor will evaluate your condition and health profile to determine a proper diagnosis. From there, they can steer you towards the right treatment program.
When looking further into the uses for cinnamon, make sure you are only using reputable sources backed by science. Anyone can make a claim about cinnamon, but that doesn't mean it's true. If you see something on the Internet, but there's no reputable source cited to back it up, don't trust it.
If you have any further questions about what cinnamon can do for you, we recommend consulting with your doctor or another medical professional. They can provide you with the right information to answer your questions and address any concerns.
The content of this article should not be taken as professional medical advice. Always consult with a medical professional regarding matters affecting your health.