Cinnamon has been used since the ancient times as a dietary supplement but also to cure a number of disease. We’re going to see how you can differentiate true cinnamon, that is to say the one with medicinal properties from the Chinese cinnamon that should only be used in cookery as a condiment to give more flavour to your dishes.
1. Cinnamomum Verum or the “ True Cinnamon”
If you need to buy cinnamon for medicinal purpose make sure you ask where it comes from in order to find out whether it’s true cinnamon or not. In fact, true cinnamon also called cinnamomum verum, cinnamon ceylon or Sri Lanka cinnamon only comes from Sri Lanka, India, Madagascar, Brazil and the Caribbean. This is the kind of cinnamon that has medicinal properties as you can use it as a dietary supplement to boost your immune system or as a remedy to cure various disease.
If you buy cinnamon that comes from China, you can’t use it for medicinal purposes as it doesn’t belong to the cinnamomum verum family. In fact that particular cinnamon is a cinnamomum aromaticum also it is also known as the Chinese cinnamon. As its name clearly indicates this kind of cinnamon doesn’t have any medicinal property and should only be used as a condiment to spice your dishes.
2. Aesthetic Benefits of Cinnamon
Bad Breath: One of the particularities of the true cinnamon or cinnamomum verum is that it can also be used for aesthetic purposes. In fact, if you’re suffering from bad breath and are looking for a remedy then you don’t need to look anymore, because if you mix one teaspoon of honey with some cinnamon powder in hot water, then you drink the mixture your breath will stay fresh the whole day.
Anti Ageing: If you need an organic anti ageing here is a quite affordable one: cinnamon and honey tea. In fact, if you regularly drink cinnamon tea with honey this will help slowing down the advances of age.
Skin Infections: If you suffer from skin infection you can mix some cinnamon powder with honey or some water and then apply the mixture on the parts of your body that are affected.
Weight Loss: If you’re trying to lose weight and need a supplement to help you, then you can start your day with a mixture of cinnamon powder, honey and hot water. Then you also drink it just before bed and you’ll see that this will accelerate your weight loss.
3. Using Cinnamon Supplements to Cure Diseases
Cinnamomum verum is also used to prevent and cure different diseases such as cancer, heart diseases and so on. In addition, recently scientists have discovered that cinnamon has insulin-like properties and therefore can be used to cure diabetes. In fact, cinnamon has the property of decreasing glucose but also cholesterol. So, if you have diabetes and you believe in natural health then you can consult your GP to ask him whether you can replace insulin with cinnamon supplements. It’s really important to have your GP’s point of view before starting this alternative treatment.
Nadine Ryan writes about different subjects such as weight loss, holiday cottages and cinnamon supplements…For more information about cinnamon supplements visit http://www.regenerativenutrition.com/cinnamon-cinnamomum-verum–p-176.asp