As the weather starts to cool down, there’s nothing quite like warm cinnamon beverage.  Although cinnamon is available throughout the year, it is the perfect spice to use during the cold, winter months.

Did you know that Cinnamon has a long history as both a spice and as a medicine and is also an excellent source of manganese, fiber and a very good source of calcium and has many health benefits.

Here are but of a few of the amazing health benefits of Cinnamon:
Cinnamon is a great source of manganese
Because cinnamon is a great source of manganese, it can prevent against bone loss, help maintain normal blood sugar levels, help with thyroid function, just to name a few.

Anti-Microbial Benefits
Cinnamon’s essential oils also qualify it as an “anti-microbial” food, and cinnamon has been studied for its ability to help stop the growth of bacteria as well as fungi, including the commonly problematic yeast Candida.

Blood Sugar Control
Pairing a high carb food with cinnamon can help lessen its impact on your insulin levels. Cinnamon slows the rate at which the stomach empties after meals, reducing the rise in blood sugar after eating.

Cinnamon may also significantly help people with type 2 diabetes improve their ability to respond to insulin by normalizing their blood sugar levels.

A study published in the December 2003 issue of Diabetes Care reported that for those with type 2 diabetes, consuming as little as 1 gram of cinnamon per day was found to reduce blood sugar, triglycerides, LDL (bad) cholesterol, and total cholesterol.

In addition to all that, DID YOU KNOW:

-“In traditional Chinese medicine, cinnamon is valued for its warming energetic qualities, which are especially helpful for colds and flu, especially when combine with ginger”.

What did you learn about cinnamon that you didn’t know before.  Leave a comment in the comment box below 🙂